


Instant Family

by PokeGothGf



Category: Pocket Monsters, Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions, Pokemon - Fandom, Pokémon Sword - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Bea x Gloria, Cheating, Domestic Fluff, Drama, Drama & Romance, F/F, Family Drama, Femslash, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Galar-chihou | Galar Region (Pokemon), Gloria x Bea, Gloria x Marnie, LGBTQ, LGBTQ Themes, Legendary Pokemon, Lemon, Pokemon Battles, Pokemon Training, Pokemon fluff, Pokemon smut, Pokémon love story, Pokémon shield, Pokémon sword, Romance, Slice of Life, Smut, Yuri, f/f - Freeform, gothgfshipping, marnie x gloria, mature language, pokemon lemon, pokemon romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-09
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:13:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 48
Words: 96,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23565100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PokeGothGf/pseuds/PokeGothGf
Summary: Gloria has finally found her rhythm.or at least she thought...Between love and breakups, wins and losses, will she ever find herself settling down with that one special person? What does settling down for the champion even mean???EVERYONE IS AGED UP!Marnie, Gloria, Hop, Bede: 20Nessa, Sonia, Leon: 26Bea: 22Raihan: 27
Relationships: Gloria | Bea/Saitou, Mary | Marnie/Yuuri | Gloria, Rurina | Nessa/Sonia
Comments: 520
Kudos: 155





	1. Good Morning Galar

**Author's Note:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTE:
> 
> OKAY OKAY OKAY. FIRST FIC IDK WHAT I'M DOING BUT GOTHGFSHIPPING IS WHERE IT'S AT SORRY NOT SORRY. GET READY FOR DRAMA, LOVE, LIGHT LEMON, AND MORE! Feedback is appreciated! I'll try to update as much as I can! I DO NOT OWN POKÉMON OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS THIS IS ALL HEADCANNON

Gloria woke up to a mad buzzing from her rotom as she rolled out of her cocoon of sheets.

"Ugh, this never gets easier..." she grumbled to herself sleepily as she swatted at her nightstand, desperately hoping she'd land on the rumbling phone.

She tilted the screen toward her sleepy eyes, 4 notifications from Marnie. Her demeanor immediately perked up, her heart skipping a beat. _This is how I like to be woken up she thought_ , eagerly bringing the phone towards her.

Stretching and sitting up in bed, she swiped open her phone to see what her messages had in store for her.

😈Marnie: hey sleepyhead, have anything on the docket today? If you can pry yourself away from Rose and Oleana for your "official duties"

😈Marnie: I'm hoping you can stop by Spikemuth today, got something I think you'll like...

😈Marnie: *picture message*

😈Marnie: *picture message*

Gloria's eyes ogled at the screen in front of her. That bathing suit looked amazing... she had to get to Spikemuth ASAP. She immediately tossed aside her covers and ran for the shower, washing up at breakneck speed but pausing for a quick, steamy mirror selfie. She had to match Marnie's cheekiness of course...

Gloria👑: I'm coming over as we speak love!!

Gloria👑: *picture message*

She blushed and smiled as she clamored out of her apartment, bag in tow, Pokémon secured, ready for another adventure.

-•-

When Gloria got into her flying taxi, the butterfree in her stomach never ceased. She'd been seeing Marnie in secret for a while now, ever since she'd become champion 2 years ago. She remembered how hard she fell for the rocker, how nervous she felt under her intense gaze. They started out as good friends, Gloria giving tips and tricks on battling, Marnie slowly starting to open up to Gloria's warmth— she felt her heart skip a beat when she reflected on how much their relationship had grown. Gloria sighed,

_how did I luck out with someone like her..._

And she truly did feel lucky. Their first date was a total disaster— she had to chuckle at the thought of it! Between Morpeko's sudden hangry outburst and the spilled coffee, she never thought she'd get a second chance with Marnie, but thankfully, she thought the whole situation was quite endearing.

Deep in thought, Gloria was snapped back to reality by a text from her girlfriend. She blushed and smiled coyly, excited to have her in her arms once more.

-•-

Marnie was waiting at the Pokémon center, cooly leaning against the wall and playing with her phone. _Oy, she never takes this long, where's she at?_ She thought to herself impatiently. She contemplated sitting down but was quickly stormed by various people, some team yell, others outside tourists wanting a picture. She humored them, signing posters, pokeballs, and other knickknacks— though she politely declined signing a particularly excited fans's tits— maybe another time, but not when Gloria's on her way to town...

still, _cheeky_ , she thought.

She muscled through the pictures and the selfies, flashing her signature deadpan look, switching things up on occasion by sticking out her tongue and revealing her shining piercing. She had a certain fan base that went wild for pictures like those, she thought to herself.

She knew for sure Gloria loved it.

She stifled a smirk, not daring to flash it for the cameras to catch, she never wanted to ruin her cool demeanor and give the paparazzi fodder to feed on,

_My romantic escapades are enough for them..._

And she was partly right. The world wanted Marnie to be their girlfriend. Her striking looks and piercing eyes drove everyone wild, especially Spikemuth natives, not to mention her soft punk fashion sense that made everyone swoon.

Even good boys and girls knew deep inside that they love leather, metal, and pink.

Filing away from fans and beckoning Morpeko to jump on her shoulder, she reminisced on all of her run ins with the media. Most of them were front pagers, outraged at something she did, said, or probably wore. She quietly chuckled to herself when she remembered her first "no-no" story when the paparazzi caught her in an exhibition match against Raihan.

She was wearing her gym leader uniform and she forgot to take off her nipple piercings. It sucked having Piers find out with the rest of the world that she even had 'em... she woke up to a barrage of texts from her fellow gym leaders, some of them consoling her over the less-than-flattering media coverage, others cheekily complimenting her on her bad-assery. Marnie always marched to the beat of her own drum, piercings and all. Fuck squeaky clean gym standards. She liked things rough.

_So does Gloria._

Just as she finished that thought she heard a whooshing rumble from just outside Spikemuth's secret entrance. The steely clang of a Corvinight's wings sliced through the warm springtime air.

Morpeko immediately jumped off her shoulder and sprinted through the alleyway.

_Speak of the devil..._


	2. Opposites Attract... Right?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I think we’re getting closer to some Marnie x Gloria Lemonnnnnnnn hehe

"Marnie!" Gloria exclaimed excitedly. She was a sight to behold, _everything she does is so damn hot_ , Marnie mused as she started to stride over to Gloria, heels clacking commandingly on the asphalt alleyway.

She cocked her head as she observed Gloria adjust herself after climbing out of the taxi. Pulling at the hem of her favorite pink dress, hoisting the straps of her bag round her shoulders, brushing her cute bangs out of her face... Marnie could feel a burning blush bloom on her cheeks as she sauntered over to her lady, melting on the inside as she saw Gloria pick up Morpeko and snuggling him close.

_CUTE_.

"Took ya' long enough," Marnie said coyly, grabbing Gloria by the waist and pulling her in for a hug. She smells so nice she thought to herself as Gloria snuggled her head into the crook of her shoulder. Gloria simply giggled and wrapped her arms around Marnie tight.

Gloria was a ray of sunshine and positivity. Marnie never thought she'd be with anyone like her at all, but she couldn't help her fascination with the girl. Even back then during their first gym challenge together, Marnie was always secretly stealing looks at Gloria, wanting to know more about the bombastic trainer prodigy. Stealing a quick kiss in private, the two walked together side-by-side back into the main streets of Spikemuth.

"Springtime has just barely begun, what's got you so into getting bathing suits?" Gloria asked, eyeing Marnie intently.

Marnie blushed and gave Gloria the tiniest hint of a smile, "Any chance I have to convince you to come over is justified to me, I knew you wouldn't be able to resist." She finished her sentence with a piercing wink and watched Gloria's face glow with embarrassment. She loved doing this to her, she was the only one that got to see her like this.

Gloria's squeaky clean image was only strengthened by her genuine and innocent demeanor. She's not the type of girl that has facades, she's too true to herself for that. She actually was innocent and kind, always willing to help out, and ever so bold in everything she did. But— if she had one— her Achilles heel had to be Marnie. She was proud that she could deconstruct Gloria, leaving the parts of her that loved pleasure and intimacy for her to play with and adore. That's what she loved about the relationship the most— her command of Gloria's most intimate emotions and desires.

Morpeko jumped from Gloria's arms and back onto Marnie's shoulder. The two chatted as they walked the street back to Marnie's.

"Oi look it's the champion!"

"Hey Marnie, you battling the champion today?"

"Give us a kiss ladies, we like 'em strong!"

"Is that really the champion? Is there a match today?"

"Damn," Marnie said, eyeing the growing crowd "I didn't think word of you being here would travel so fast..."

"It's okay Marnie, I'll be right back!" Gloria broke away from Marnie's side as she satiated the growing crowd's questions and desires for pictures and autographs. _Just a few more blocks and we would've been home free..._

Marnie saw some over-zealous trainers rabidly request battles from Gloria, she even saw Gloria unconsciously reach for her bags' side pocket, where she keeps her team.

_Uh-uh. Not today, we've got plans..._

Marnie approached the swarm and put her spiked heel down loudly. The clack shot through the air as the trainers' clamoring died down and eyes were on her. Her demeanor grew icy and her green eyes seemed to glow intensely. Morpeko switched into his hangry mode.

"You lot know the rules," Marnie calmly uttered, her presence getting more and more intimidating. Morpeko began to growl. "You wanna challenge the champion?" She stepped closer to the crowd, "you've got to beat me first in the gym challenge." Her tiny figure seemed to tower over the crowd, her imposing aura engulfing everyone in front of her.

Marnie knew how to take control.

A few awkward apologies sputtered from various people as everyone began to disperse and her day began to resume with Gloria.

"Yikes, she's not out to play today!" Gloria said, playfully nudging Marnie's arm.

"Oh trust me, I am — just not with them" Marnie retorted as she comforted Morpeko with a berry, switching him back to his sweet little self. "I'm gonna have you to myself this afternoon, we'll get all the playtime we need..."

Gloria furiously fumbled with the straps of her bag, sweat starting to glint in anticipation. The two neared the door to Marnie's place, their hearts whirling in excitement to get inside.

"Ladies first..." Marnie muttered to Gloria as she beckoned her inside, closing and locking the door behind her slowly as she checked Gloria out from head to toe. _I'm gonna have a lot of fun today_ she thought, slipping off her leather jacket.

-•-

Gloria's heart was racing. She was used to being crowded by folks and challenged by would-be battlers, but she had gotten a little overwhelmed back there. Having Marnie swoop in and save the day was amazing. She knew full well that her serious face scared others, but to her? It was the sexiest smolder out there. She was mostly quiet and reserved in public, but when she needs to handle a crowd, she handles them well.

Lost in thought and routine, Gloria stepped into the familiar home, slipping off her bag and kicking off her shoes. She eyed the platinum records plastering the wall, glinting in the afternoon light being let in from the slats of the shades on the windows. _Piers..._

"Yeah he's still on tour that one," Marnie said, noticing the records catching Gloria's eye. Snapping back to reality, Gloria turned around, her dress twirling slightly to see Marnie in her pastel pink spaghetti strap dress. She loved seeing her without the leather jacket on...

"I figured, the house seemed a little too quiet for him not to be out and about!" Gloria said, walking towards Marnie, grabbing her hand.

"I suppose that means we have the house to ourselves this time around?"

She brought Marnie's hand to her face, pressing a kiss into her soft palm.

Marnie cupped Gloria's face with her other hand, leaning in dangerously close to her lips.

"No close calls or interruptions today, love" she whispered brushing her lips against Gloria's. Their hearts were pounding in unison.

_"Just us."_


	3. Sparks Fly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title says it all...

_“Fuck...”  
_

An almost breathless pant escaped Gloria’s lips while she felt Marnie’s tongue glide up her neck.   
  


The stairs and entry of her bedroom were littered with various articles of clothing illuminated by the afternoon sun peeking through Marnie’s half drawn blinds. Beads of sweat glistened on her toned body as she cradled Gloria beneath her sheets. She was hungry for her.   
  


Gloria shivered as she felt the cool steel of Marnie’s tongue piercing press against her sensitive skin, her fingers cradling the back of Marnie’s head, brushing up against the expertly shaved sections. _I don’t know how she does this to me, but I want her so bad.  
  
_

Marnie started to press her lips against Gloria’s collar bones, delicately sucking and licking her way down as she cupped her breasts. Her hungry mouth made it to one of Gloria’s soft nipples, making Gloria shudder in her arms. Hot breath escaped Marnie’s mouth as she began to circle her tongue on her nipple, feeling it harden beneath her piercing. Her grip tightened on her breast as she sucked on her— digging her glossy, jet black nails into her soft skin.   
  


_“Baby please...”_

Gloria moaned, helplessly putting one hand on top of Marnie’s while her other tangled in Marnie’s hair. Marnie hummed as she loosened her grip and slid herself down lower, adjusting herself as she prepared to go down on Gloria. 

-•-

  
Marnie paused.   
  


She looked up at Gloria’s blushing face and admired her exposed body, taking note of the pink nail marks she left on her breast. Gloria’s breath was ragged, her chest rising and falling unpredictably. Their eyes were glued to each other’s. 

“Do you want me?” Marnie asked in a low, quiet voice. The covers were strewn aside, her chin hovering just above Gloria’s navel, body propped between her quivering legs.   
  


“ _Y-yes... please baby, I need you,”_ Gloria’s voice trembled, hips bucking upward longingly.   
  


Marnie adjusted herself, grabbing Gloria’s hips.   
  


“Tell me again.”   
  


Gloria whimpered, she wasn’t about to get teased today. She reached down and looped her finger in the metal ring of Marnie’s choker, beckoning her to come up toward her.   
  


_“I want you to eat me out like you’ve been starving.”_ Gloria commanded, her eyes boring into Marnie’s.   
  


Marnie’s face flushed, her heart throbbed. She nodded obediently and crawled her way down to Gloria’s pussy. From between her legs, Marnie could see Gloria’s expectant gaze. Maintaining eye contact, Marnie slid her tongue between Gloria’s wet slit.   
  


_God I love the taste of her sex.._.

Marnie passionately rolled her tongue into Gloria, rocking into a lewd rhythm with Gloria’s hips. Gloria whimpered at each lick, grasping at the sheets beside her. Her head was thrown back in ecstasy as Marnie repositioned herself to slide a finger inside of her. 

_“Marnie!!”_ Gloria exclaimed her name like it was the first time she’d ever been touched down there.   
  


Marnie slipped another finger inside of her, curling it ever so slightly so as to hit her sweet spot. She knew Gloria’s body like the back of her hand, she was going to have her cumming in no time.

” _Fuck!!”_

“Cum for me.”   
  


_“Fuck— Marnie— ple—“_

  
-•-

A flock of rookidee scattered out of a nearby tree, leaving a flurry of cherry blossom petals in their wake outside Marnie’s window.

The two were wrapped up with each other in a tangle. Sweaty and breathless, Gloria pulled away to be on her back, lifting up her arm for Marnie to rest her head on her chest.

”Wow” 

She sighed, wrapping an arm delicately around Marnie.

”Where did that come from??”

”I dunno,” Marnie said dreamily, “I just missed you I s’ppose...” she trailed off as she caressed Gloria’s collar bones, taking small detours to trace her breasts. The small nicks from her nails still branded as a symbol of passion on one.

_Hey, gotta leave my mark somehow..._

She nestled her head against Gloria’s soft skin, feeling herself sink into comfort. 

“That was amazing. I wish we could stay like this fore—“

-•-

  
*BZZZT* *BZZZT*  
  


Gloria’s rotom phone began rumbling fiercely in Marnie’s room. By the sounds of it, it sounded like it was vibrating on the floor— she would just have to sift through the mountain of haphazardly strewn clothes to find it. She burst from the bed, immediately sorting through the clothes.

She could hear Marnie giggle behind her

”And just what do you think is so funny?” She asked matter of factly while tossing Marnie’s bra to the side, still struggling to find her dress where she knew her phone was.

”You just look so cute is all,” she mused “Look at you: stark naked in my room searching for your phone...” she crawled to the end of the bed, propping herself up on the footboard with her elbows “I could just eat you up right now... _all over again_.”

Gloria paused, looking over her shoulder with eyebrows raised. Her blush fiercely dominating her face. Suddenly, a familiar pattern caught her eye, “FOUND IT!”

She quickly answered the phone

”This is Gloria, what’s up?”

Marnie made an incredulous face, mocking Gloria’s professionalism. _Looks like miss perfect is back on track..._

She put her rotom on speaker as she wriggled back into her panties.

”Ah yes, it’s Rose,” a posh voice filtered in through the speaker of the phone, “how are you my unbeatable money making gold mine?”

Gloria rolled her eyes and looked at Marnie, who was carelessly sprawled on the bed, completely uninterested in this phone conversation.

”I’m doing well sir, to what do I owe this pleasure?”

”Well hotshot, it’s about that time of year again, I’ve got marketing working overtime on the rollout of the new gym challenge season,” he drawled.

_Uh-oh, I know what that means_ Gloria groaned internally

”So you know what that means!” He said excitedly “We need to start rolling out this campaign with some exhibition matches all over Galar. I need you in Stow-on-Side tomorrow at noon to be briefed with Bea. I’m sending out the schedules for the rest of the pre-season to the leaders later tonight. See you tomorrow, love!” The chairman hung up, not giving Gloria any time to speak.

She finished clasping her bra and plopped down on the bed next to Marnie, letting out an exasperated sigh.

”Well I figure that means you can’t stay the night then...” Marnie said somewhat sarcastically. Gloria thought she heard a tinge of disappointment, but her aloof demeanor said otherwise...

Gloria said nothing, opting to spoon Marnie instead. This was one kind of battle she knew she couldn’t win...


	4. The Problem with Perfection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peril in paradise is brewing as Gloria and Marnie prepare for the upcoming Gym Challenge Season. Tempers flair and feelings get hurt— but who’s justified...?

Marnie’s heart sunk. Rose’s voice made her skin crawl. _Why couldn’t she just ignore the call..._

”... to what do I owe this pleasure...” 

Marnie huffed and turned away. Rose blatantly played favorites amongst the gym leaders— and with her lackluster record with the media— Marnie was pretty low on his totem pole. It didn’t matter that she was ranked highly in the major leagues, dwarfing Nessa and Milo in total wins. Spikemuth won with her every time as well, the local economy getting a massive boost since she took over the gym.

  
 _What could she say?_ She grinned. _The naughty girls always rake in the cash..._

Her pride was short-lived when she heard Rose’s orders to Gloria. Tomorrow. Noon. Stow-on-Side. _FUCK._ Tears began to well up in her eyes against her will. She forced herself back into her usual steely composure, eyelids beating back the fledgling tears. She sprawled out on her back just in time to see Gloria fix the clasp on her bra, adjusting the straps in the mirror, subtly checking herself out before turning to face her, sadness in her eyes.   
  
  


“Well I figure that means you can’t stay the night then...” 

Gloria crawled in bed next to her, sighing and spooning Marnie. _Here come the excuses..._

”I’m sorry baby, you know I have a job to do...”

”Of course...” Marnie huffed “Ms. Money-making gold mine.” She turned and glared at Gloria 

“...whoa, hey, you heard the same phone call, where is this coming from?” Gloria retracted herself from Marnie, sitting up in bed next to her.

”What do you mean where is this coming from?” Marnie sat up as well, bunching the sheets up to cover her chest as she confronted Gloria.

”It’s been two years of skirting around, having you prioritize Rose over everything. You’re such a different person around him. Can’t you just say no to him once?”

”Marnie...” Gloria reached her hand out to comfort her, she recoiled from her touch.   
  


“Please understand, it’s my job... he does an awful lot for my family and I just don’t want to make him mad...”

”Oh. So it’s okay to make me mad then?” Marnie arose from the bed, storming over to her dresser to get a t-shirt.   
  


“it’s okay to put others in second place for him? For what? Money?” She spat aggressively as she pulled the shirt over her head.   
  


“Just break the rules every once in a while—“ she stumbled as she hopped into a pair of panties “say no to him sometimes. I say no to him all the time!”

Gloria sank into the bed, shielding herself from Marnie’s words with the comforter. She hated these conversations, there was never any winners, not that winning even mattered.

”Marnie— I— I ju—“

”Just look at you! You’ve seen me get mad about this for _years_ now. Does anything ever change? No. Don’t you get tired of being his little bitch all the time?”

Marnie winced. Oops.

_Uh-oh. I shouldn’t have cussed... should I stick this argument out?_

”His little bitch?” Gloria rose from the bed as well, willing herself to confront Marnie. “Did you just say I was his little bitch?”

Gloria’s eyes narrowed as she approached Marnie. She in turn took the slightest step back.   
  


“Gloria I just me—“

”I’m no one’s bitch, Marnie. And you talk a whole lot about breaking the rules when you’re scared _shitless_ to even make you and I official. You’re such a hypocrite. How many times have I asked _you_ to break the rules and just come out already?”   
  


Gloria was heating up, 

_how can she just shit on me like this for just doing my fucking job??_

Marnie doubled down.   
  


“What is there to even say?” _Handle this Marnie, don’t fucking lose_ , her internal monologue was raging with pride.   
  


“So your double standard is justified because we’re not ‘official’? You running around and being a show pony is all because I won’t parade you around? Do you just _always_ need attention to be fucking happy?”

Marnie’s chest puffed up as she connected her gaze with Gloria’s flaming auburn eyes.   
  


“You always want to be the center of attention, don’t you,” she hissed as she poked Gloria in the chest. “You can’t _stand_ that I’m not giving you another story to be on the front page about.”   
  


“What are you even saying?? Is it not fucking normal to want to be together? To stop hiding? If I have to follow your stupid fucking rules about this— you should be able to follow my very reasonable rules about my _employment.”_ Gloria retorted back as she swiped away Marnie’s hand from her chest. 

“ _MY_ stupid rules? Coming from the queen of loving to follow rules? Are you serious??”   
  


“You’re scared.” Gloria said calmly.   
  


“No I’m not.” Marnie spat back adamantly.   
  


Gloria suddenly calmed down and huffed incredulously.

”You are. You are! You’re still ashamed of me...” she said aloofly as she threw her hands in the air.   
  


“That’s not what this is about Gloria. You know that’s not the case.”   
  


“Then why are we still sneaking around? You won’t hold my hand anywhere—“

”I’m not scared!” Marnie interjected, panic and pride poisoning her words.   
  


“Just admit it.”   
  


“I’m not.”   
  


“Then why are we even having this conversation? What am I?” Gloria’s voice started to raise, bravery spilling from her gut. “Honestly Marnie, what am I?”

Marnie watched as Gloria took center stage in the argument again. She _hated_ it. She _hated_ how she always fucking won.   
  


_you arrogant bastard. Not today. I have to win this. I’m not admitting anything to you.  
_

Marnie glared at Gloria as she sat back down on the bed, expectantly awaiting her response.

Marnie sauntered over to her, bending down to be eye level with Gloria. She steadied her gaze into hers and said,

“A good fuck.”

Gloria’s jaw dropped. Her eyes widened. She was dumbfounded by Marnie’s rudeness.   
  
  


“You’re a guilty pleasure,” Marnie doubled down again, eyes narrowing, voice lowering.

_Is this how I’m gonna win this?_

”You’re right, I never defined what we are because we’re nothing Gloria,” _fuck just fuck this whole argument up Marnie, just win it._

 _  
_“And I’m not scared. Because there’s nothing to be scared of. We hook up, we hang out, we split. That’s what we do.”

_Oh fuck what am I even saying??_

Marnie refused to let her demeanor change as thoughts of regret ripped through her brain.

She felt her heart rot as she saw Gloria’s eyes slowly well up with tears.

”I reckon I just hate to see someone get bossed around the way you do.” Marnie spoke cooly and calmly, her armor was all the way on now, there’s no going back.

-•-

“Marnie... please... what...?” Gloria shifted uncomfortably in bed. She felt so exposed, she wanted to be covered up so badly, she regretted not getting all the way dressed earlier. Her mind was reeling, _did she really feel that way about me? Was it all just about sex? I thought..._

Gloria’s tears were streaming down her face now, cascading down her cheeks and off her chin.

  
She attempted to gain composure, softly cupping Marnie’s face, the face she loves more than anything in the world, in her shaking hands.

”Please tell me you don’t mean that. Please, let’s just talk about this...” Gloria begged the stoic girl in front of her, seeing no change in her expression.   
  


Marnie finally kneeled in front of Gloria, putting her hands gently on top of Gloria’s. _Is she coming to her senses? Can we just move past this?_

_“_ Please Marnie, I love you...”

Marnie gingerly removed Gloria’s hands from her face and gently set them down in her lap.   
  


“I don’t.”

Marnie rose and left the room, leaving a stunned and heartbroken Gloria to break down. She swiped a pair of jeans and started to walk down the stairs, barefoot. She grimaced as her feet made contact with the cold, wood flooring at the base of the stairs. She looked up to see the light from her room get blocked off as she heard the door close, Gloria’s sobs muting with its deafening shut.   
  


Marnie hopped into her jeans as she wiped away her own tears.

_Is this what winning feels like?_


	5. Peace Found Elsewhere

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meanwhile in Stow-on-Side...
> 
> Also Allister is a beeb, I picture him being like... young? 10, 11 tops. He must be protected

Allister took a deep breath, letting the fresh springtime air filter in through his mask.   
  


_This is the life,_ he thought, leaning back against his favorite tree. Perfect amount of shade, best selection of berries, located in the remote prairie land that neighbored his home. 

School was almost out, meaning the next season of the Gym Challenge was nearing its start.   
  


“I’ll just take this time to relax and unwind before pe—“

Allister’s lofty thought was cut off by a distant rumbling and a crash. He peeked up, scanning the surrounding area for any hint of a threat. Suddenly, in the distance, he saw two fast-moving figures. One appeared to be an irate Machamp, while the other was... much smaller?   
  


and tanner...

and _almost_ faster.

Suddenly, before Allister knew it, his sister came into focus running for dear life— towards him??

”MACHAMP LOOK *huff* I’M SO SORRY *huff*” 

he could hear his sister’s trademark bright voice as she sprinted his way. _She’ll move out of my way soon,_ he thought, changing positions so he could get a better view of the show.   
  


“I DIDN’T *huff* KNOW PEOPLE COULD *huff* TAUNT POKÉMON THE SAME *huff* WAY OTHER POKÉMON *huff* COULD!”

a guttural roar escaped machamp’s body as he continued to give chase to Bea. She was spending an awful lot of time looking behind her than she was looking ahead... _This ought to be good..._

Bea was always buttoned up and proper, Allister rarely had the chance to see her like this— to see her mess up. He let out a small laugh as he saw her comically dodge her strongest Pokémon, barrel-rolling and somersaulting every which way to throw his trail.   
  


Suddenly, she made a bee-line for his tree.   
  


Uh-oh.   
  


“BEA WAIT WATCH OUT—“ Allister called out, almost too late.   
  


“Allie??”

-•-

Bea had no time to think, Machamp was hot on her trail and there was no easy path except the one directly in front of her. She’d scold Allister later for skipping out on his training.   
  


Without skipping a beat, she scooped the small boy up into her arms and made a sharp left, allowing the Machamp to barrel head-first into the tree.   
  


Splinters flew every which way as Bea shielded little Allister from the debris careening their way. After the dust settled she peeked over her shoulder to see if the threat was neutralized. After a few moments stumbling back and forth, Machamp finally fainted, allowing Bea to call him back to his Ultra Ball.   
  


“G-geez sis, n-now you’ve gone on a-an’ had my favorite t-tree wrecked,” Allister said solemnly and quietly.

Bea frowned, “Well maybe if you were where you were supposed to be ‘n not lollygagging...” she trailed off, knowing she wasn’t making anything better. She looked down at her down-trodden brother, feeling guilty that she’d quite literally wrecked his afternoon.  
  


“Anyways... Hey. Let’s get some food in you, I wanna start seeing some meat on these bones, Allie” Bea hoisted him up, giving him a playful squeeze as she started on her way home.   
  


“You s-smell like a thousand t-trubbish sis... heh— maybe y-you should c-clean up f-first...” Allister said cheekily.   
  


Bea sighed, just because he was shy didn’t mean he wasn’t the sassiest boy in town, “you better watch yourself mister, the only reason you’re not getting a talking-to is because...” she paused,

“ _extenuating circumstances.”_

Allister laughed as he held onto his sister, “I g-guess that’s w-what w-we’re calling a-almost dying n-now...” 

Bea shot him her ‘last snarky comment, mister’ look as they approached their home. 

Setting Allister down, she reached in her pockets for her keys, scanning the boy up and down for any nicks or bruises that may need to be tended to.   
  


“Hey... ‘m fine sis...” he said dreamily as he walked in through the front door, kicking off his shoes and loosening the strap on his mask.   
  


Bea sighed in relief, _I’ve really got to be more careful... I’m supposed to be a good example for him..._

she threw her tattered duffel back on their kitchen table along with her phone as she walked toward their downstairs bathroom. 

_Yikes..._

Allister was right, she looked terrible. Cautiously lifting the bottom of her crop top toward her nose, she confirmed that she definitely had smelled better... 

“Allie! Come on to the kitchen and bring your bag, I know you’ve got homework!” Bea yelled as she unloaded some groceries from the fridge and pantry. She left some chicken to thaw in the sink, making her way to the stairs.

She started to undo her head band. “Allie! I’m not gonna ask aga—“ 

A small, pale face with vivid violet eyes peeked from the wall by their staircase, “ ‘m comin’ s-sis, don’t pull a m-muscle...” 

“I’m gonna go take a quick shower, by the time I’m out, I wanna see that science homework done, comprende?”

Allister nodded, heading down the stairs as she walked up. Bea gave him an affectionate pat on the head, “Love you, little ghostie,” Bea flashed a rare smile reserved for her favorite people to Allister, he groaned “l-love you too sis...”

Bea took another look at herself in the mirror, picking out the splinters from her hair from earlier. She turned the shower on, testing the water before wriggling out of her tight black body suite. She grabbed a towel from her cupboard when she noticed her stark tan lines on her back.   
  


_Maybe I should ease off the training... I am looking a little rough round the edges..._

She did her best to meditate in the shower, letting the water droplets hitting her skin be her mantra for tonight.

-•-

_Aaaand done._

Allister set his pencil down on his homework, leaving it ready for Bea to check later. He picked up his Rotom and plopped on the couch, letting his little frame sink into the comfy leather.   
  


_FINALLY,_ he thought, _I’ve got some time to myse_ —

*BZZT* *BZZT*  
  


”Uuuuuugggghhhhh,” Allister gave an exasperated sigh to no one in particular. He peeled himself off of the couch and dragged himself to the kitchen table. He heard the shower stop running from upstairs as he picked it up. 

_Rose?_

_”_ Beaaaaaaa,” Allister hollered, “Ch-chairman Rose is c-callingggggg!”

He heard clamoring from upstairs, then feet quickly beating against the stairs. Bea sped toward him, still very wet, still in a towel.

_EW_

”G-Gross Bea!” He held out the phone away from his body like it was infected, grimacing as he turned away.

”Gimme that,” she said, playfully shoving him as she walked away.

-•-

Bea made her way back upstairs, swiping her her thumb across the screen of the phone.

”This is Bea,” she said, walking into her room.

”Bea! My little she-warrior, how are you?” Rose’s saccharine voice bounded in her room.

”I’m doing fine sir, what can I do for you today?” Bea maintained her curt politeness, switching into Gym Leader mode as she opened her dresser. She slipped on a sports bra and a tank top as Rose spoke.

”Listen, Bea, I’m sending out pre-season schedules to the rest of the leaders later tonight, but I’m giving you a quick call to give you a fair heads up—“ 

Bea paused from putting on her sweats, one leg in, one leg out, head perking up expectantly.

”Marketing is really pushing for this season to be the biggest yet, so we’re starting things off with a _bang.”  
  
_

Bea could see the chairman doing jazz hands in her mind’s eye, she smiled at the thought. She gave herself a quick hop as she adjusted her sweats.

”So that means, my little fighting prodigy, that you will be in our pre-season opener!”

_NICE!_

”Against the Champion!”

_SHOOT._

Bea lunged for her phone, picking it up and turning it off of speaker and bringing it to her ear.  
  


”That’s—“ Bea’s teeth gritted, “Great news Chairman!” She sat down at the edge of her bed, wrinkling her crisp, white sheets. She needed to sound enthusiastic for the chairman, but she could feel her mood complicate...

”That’s my girl! She’s going to be at your gym tomorrow at noon for a quick briefing! Oleana and I will be there too.”

”Sounds great sir, I’ll see to it I come prepared.”

“Perfect! I look forward to seeing you soon!”

”One more thing sir—“ Bea quickly interjected.

”Yes, Bea?”

”It’s technically our gym now, Allister and I.”   
  


She could hear Rose pause, “Right you are Bea, right you are...” he chuckled, “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He said warmly, hanging up shortly after.

_Starting things off with a bang huh? I wish..._

She noticed a shadow outside her bedroom door.

”You can come in 007, you’re not gonna out-sneak me today,” she called out to her eavesdropping brother.

He quietly shuffled in, sitting next to his sister on the bed.

”S-so first match o’ the s-season with y-your girlfri—“ 

Bea shoved him before he could finish, her face burning. She picked him up, slinging him over her shoulder as she stormed out of her room.

”Allie,” she said as intimidatingly as possible “ _you are walking a FINE line.”_ She said through clenched teeth.

Allister swayed back and forth as they walked down the stairs, the ride getting bumpy as she skipped steps. He knew he was gonna be in trouble later, but he just couldn’t stop smiling...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it folks! Some Bea/Allister brother and sister fluff! I wonder if this kickoff will complicate things...


	6. A Champion’s Recovery

Gloria shut the door, sliding down the cold, wooden surface. _What was happening? How could this happen? Over what???_

She stood up, pacing back and forth, her fingers lacing in her still sex-tousled hair. She forced herself to breathe between ragged sobs, scanning the ground for her clothes.

_Step one: get dressed.  
_

Gloria had been through enough in life to know that you can’t deal with everything all at once. She knew if she broke everything down into singular steps for the next ten minutes, she’d survive.

After flicking out some wrinkles at the hem of her dress, she walked over to Marnie’s nightstand where she left her phone.   
  


_I can’t stay here, need to head over to Stow-on-Side for tonight.  
_

She quickly booked herself a room at the first place she could find. _Okay, I have a bed for tonight. That’s good.  
  
_

She sat down in front of Marnie’s vanity, looking at her tear-streaked, red face. She patted her cheeks and picked up Marnie’s makeup wipes. She knew where she always kept them....

She shook her grief off, quickly swiping the streamed mascara from beneath her eyes, careful not to remove too much. She wasn’t about to redo everything. After re-touching her lashes, she decided to close her eyes and think. _I need to say something before I go... I need to get a hold of this situation before it runs away from me... from the both of us..._

The things Marnie said seared in her brain, making her skin crawl. _A good fuck_ she thought, _and I let her be my first time..._ Marnie’s actions were uncharacteristically cruel. They have had fights before, but this was the first time she knew Marnie was purposefully trying to hurt her. _Why...?_

After another moment of mulling over her strategy, she looked at herself in the mirror, feigning fierce confidence. She slapped her legs as she stood up, forcing herself to be strong. She had a big day tomorrow, the job doesn’t stop for personal hardship. She looked at Marnie’s door, still plastered with posters of Piers. A poorly carved heart with a “G+M” etched into it mocked her.   
  


Things were going to change when she walked through that door, she just knew it.   
  


-•- 

Marnie paced back and forth, nervous nausea making her head spin.   
  


_I have to go up there. I have to apologize. What the FUCK was I thinking??  
_

She heard Gloria’s sobbing subside from upstairs. What was she going to do? What was she even doing up there? _Should I check?_ Marnie collapsed in her couch, holding her head in her hands. She dragged her fingers through her hair, combing back her bangs, feeling her shaved spikes tickle her palm. She sniffed. Finally resolving to get over herself and fix it this.   
  


Light suddenly illuminated the stairwell as Marnie’s door swept open. She shot up, wiping here eyes one more time, approaching the base of the stairs. Gloria met Marnie’s eyes as she glided down the stairs. _She looks so composed..._

”Gloria... I...”

Gloria kindly put a finger on Marnie’s lips, gazing understandably into her electric eyes.   
  


“I know, we need to figure this out. Can you grab my boots for me?”

Marnie immediately obliged, rushing to pick them up as Gloria picked up her day bag. She moved over to Marnie’s couch, patting the cushion next to her as an invitation. Marnie placed the boots by Gloria’s feet and took her seat silently.   
  


“I’m not doing this anymore, Marnie. We’re not going to do _this_ anymore” she said, gesturing between the two of them.   
  


“I let you in to see the most precious parts of me, become a huge part of my life, become my first love, Marnie. What you said changed everything for me...” Gloria said somberly, she watched Marnie hang her head in shame.   
  


“I’m leaving town tonight, don’t call,” she put a finger beneath Marnie’s chin to bring her gaze to hers, “don’t text, don’t come to see me, until you figure out what’s going on with you. Until you know _exactly_ what to say to me.”   
  


Gloria’s voice was eerily steady, quiet, and serious.

Marnie was at a complete loss for words.   
  


_I’ve really done it, haven’t I? Is there any coming back from this?_

Gloria held Marnie’s face one last time, using her thumb to brush away a tear. Her heart broke again. Marnie thought she looked like she had something else to say; instead, she let go, opting to slip on her shoes. She stood up and walked toward her door, glancing over her shoulder to get one last look at her.

“I’ll see you when I see you... Goodbye Marnie...” 

With that, Marnie’s world walked out her door.   
  


-•-

Neon signs illuminated the streets of Spikemuth as Gloria stepped outside. Spikemuth’s night life was bustling. She started on her way to the Pokémon center, hailing a flying taxi as she walked.   
  


_Tomorrow’s gonna be a long day,_ she thought as the doors opened at the Pokémon center. Bea was a tough opponent to beat, even though tomorrow was most likely just going to be a briefing day for PR, she knew Bea was going to want to train...

She sank into a hard plastic bench, checking the status of her taxi. Thank Arceus no one was here to recognize her... Gloria refused to let herself reflect on anything other than the here and now. She focused on anything that crossed her view.   
  


She counted beeps she heard from the equipment in the Pokémon center.   
  


She noted what Pokémon cries she could hear.   
  


She tied and re-tied her laces.   
  


She finally heard the corvinight land. Time to go.   
  


Spikemuth’s neon silhouette shrank as the taxi lifted her into the air. Marnie’s memory only grew.   
  


-•-

A loud clang ripped though the air as the taxi landed. Gloria’s body jostled and she gasped, waking up in a panic. She rubbed her eyes and stumbled out of the taxi, thanking the pilot and yawning, boots crunching against the sandy stone beneath her feet.   
  


“Alrighty then,” Gloria said to herself “the hotel should be right arounnnnnnd—“ she paused looking at her surroundings. The town was asleep with only the faint cries of maractus sputtering in the gentle wind. “—here?”   
  


Gloria arrived at a very unassuming building. It had a stucco facade with a worn turquoise door— _cute —_ though it had a haunting aura to it... she stepped inside, scuffing her boots on the welcome mat before checking in.

The keys to her room jingled as she made her way up the stairs to the top floor. Unlocking the simple door revealed an equally simple room, minimally adorned with local artwork and flora. Gloria set her bag down on the bed as she made her way to the small balcony. She needed some peace and quiet after today...

The moon washed the city with its gentle glow. Gloria leaned forward against the railing, surveying the the city and enjoying the warm, quiet air. She took note of the terraced fields and the gushing waterfall to the East, it’s commanding natural beauty juxtaposing the massive stadium to the west. She admired the lights illuminating the orange and purple stadium.   
  


“I wonder how Bea’s doing...” her voice trailed off

-•-

  
  
“W-well I reckon I c-could ask f-for you if y-you’d like...”

A tiny voice above her quivered nervously in the air, making the hairs on Gloria’s neck stand up. She whipped around to see who it was.

Gloria’s eyes met two glowing, violet eyes behind an eerie mask, balanced on a spindly, pale body. She shivered.

”Who’s there? Allister? It’s like 2:30 am — what are you doing here??”

He was perched carefree directly above her on the roof of the building, kicking his little legs back and forth. He averted his gaze to the cosmos. Gloria wondered if he was here because the hotel was haunted...

”Well... couldn’t s-sleep... s-so I wanted to watch s-stars and g-get some air... didn’t m-mean to startle you... just... l-like this roof...”

”Well,” Gloria sighed as she leaned back on the railing, “I think Bea would be worried if she knew you weren’t home... I also think she’d whup my behind if she ever found out that I let you stay outside this late at night.” Gloria tapped her chin as she thought. “Why don’t you let me walk you home? I’ll let you see one of my strong ghost Pokémon...” Gloria said cajolingly, hoping the kid would take the bait.   
  


His feet stopped kicking, he paused and looked at her.   
  


“hmmm... what room n-number are y-you?” He asked.

Gloria smiled, thankful he was willing to go home.

-•-

Gloria had quickly changed into her shorts and t-shirt that she’d packed in case Marnie wanted her to stay the night. She winced at her thought. She rummaged through her various Pokéballs till she found the right dusk ball. _Aha!_ No sooner had she found her Pokémon was it that she heard the teeniest little knock on her door. Swooping up her phone and keys, dusk ball in tow, she opened the door.   
  


Gloria wasn’t tall by any means, capping off at about 5’4”-5’5”, but she seemed to tower over Allister. She gave him the ball to hold as she closed the door behind her, quietly locking it. On the way downstairs, Gloria had Allister guess what was in the ball, impressed by his knowledge of ghost types. When they finally reached the front entrance of the building, Gloria guided him to toss the ball, letting him finally see what it was.   
  


Allister’s throw was tiny— but just enough to activate the ball’s opening mechanism. In an eerie blast of black, shimmering smoke, the ball revealed an undulating, semi-transparent figure. Two dreepy were sleepily perched at the top of its 10-foot frame as it floated through the air, attracted to the small boy.   
  


“ ‘s a d-dragapult...” Allister said dreamily, reaching a hand up towards the imposing beast. His small hand connected with the dragon’s face, Gloria could sense a smile behind his mask forming.   
  


the two started the trek back to Allister’s home, chatting about life, school, and Pokémon. Suddenly, the conversation topic switched to Bea.   
  


“So how’s your feisty sister doing?” Gloria asked, helping Allister balance as he walked on a ledge beside her.   
  


“She’s f-fine, I heard her take a c-call from the ch-chairman today...” Allister continued to shuffle along, “she’s normally so calm about everything, but she seems... nervous? E-excited maybe?”   
  


He kicked a rock out of his way, “it’s all because sh-she’s gonna be battling y-you s-soon—heh...”

”Is that so?” Gloria mused, “I always reckoned Bea thought I was undisciplined and lucky haha, I definitely don’t feel like I’m the type to make her nervous!”

Allister paused slightly, “well she d-definitely doesn’t think a-any of those th-things...” he stopped walking for a moment, “a-and you definitely make her nervous...” 

Gloria could hear his smile through his mask, “what’s _that_ supposedto mean?? Am I not nice...?” Gloria didn’t want to make Bea nervous, she hoped it didn’t mean that she hated her...

Gloria glanced back at Allister, he looked so frail and tired... she stopped and held her arms out.   
  


“Need a ride?”   
  


Allister shyly nodded, she heard a big yawn from behind his mask.   
  


“M’ h-house is *yawn* a st-straight shot ahead...” he said sleepily as he adjusted himself as Gloria hoisted him up.   
  


_“_ B-by the w-way...” Allister unconsciously snuggled his head against Gloria as she began finishing their trek home. “I w-wouldn’t worry about B-Bea not liking y-you...” he trailed off. “Sh-she likes you p-plenty...”

Gloria smiled, relieved that she wasn’t a negative force in Bea’s life. She craned her neck to see if there were any distinguishing land marks in the area, she saw a small path ahead of her, leading straight ahead. She saw a faint silhouette of what appeared to be a house. She fished her dusk ball out and recalled her dragapult.

-•-

Bea was curled up in her sheets, sleeping hard after a long day. Suddenly, her room was illuminated by the bright screen of her phone, angrily vibrating against her nightstand. She shot straight up in a panic, ready to fight. Noticing it was just her phone, she hastily reached for it, hoping it wasn’t an emergency.   
  


her heart skipped a beat when she noticed Gloria’s name illuminating her screen. She slid her thumb across her screen answering immediately.   
  


“Gloria? Is everything alright?” She asked, concern lacing her words as she sat up. The sheets created a little tent between her legs as she stretched.

”Bea! Wow how long has it been? Ha... I just wanted to give you a little heads up— I’m waiting outside your door with a little surprise.”   
  


Bea blinked. Was she dreaming? “Hold on Gloria, I’ll be right down— see you in a bit!”   
  


She hung up the phone, standing up and giving herself one last stretch. She bogged down her stairs and approached her front door, flicking on the light switch that illuminated her porch.   
  


She was certainly surprised when she opened the door, a glowing, smiling Gloria facing her with her younger brother in her arms.   
  


_This has got to be a dream..._


	7. Feisty...?

So many thoughts were racing through Bea’s mind.   
  


_What time is it? How did Gloria get here? Why was she with my brother? How did Allister even get out??_

Gloria’s grin wavered ever so slightly, Bea could see a glint of perspiration on her brow and neck as she huffed and readjusted a sleeping Allister.

  
“So uhhhh... where do you want him?” Gloria asked expectantly, shifting about on her porch.   
  


Bea snapped back to reality and stepped towards Gloria, “Here,” she said gently, “I’ll take him.”   
  


Gloria obliged, heaving with the last of her strength, meeting Bea halfway as her strong, tan arms took over.

The transition was less than graceful, Bea got strands of her bangs in her face. Gloria took note, pausing as she gently brushed her fingertips against Bea’s forehead and placing her other hand on her back to steady her balance. She could feel Bea’s warmth through her tank top as a fierce blush flooded her cheeks. 

“You got him? Hey, is everything okay?” Gloria asked sweetly as Bea took a step backward, her wide eyes meeting Gloria’s.   
  


_Hooooookay wow, say something dummy, say anything, wow her eyes are so pretty she’s so—_

_“_ Did I— do I have something on my face? Earth to Beaaaa” Gloria waved her hand in front of her face.   
  


“Oh! Uh? Well I — we should— want some water??” Bea fumbled her words as she made room in her doorway for Gloria to step inside. Gloria made her way through, side-stepping as Bea bumped the door shut with her hip.   
  


“I’ve got some questions for you actually, I’m going to get this trouble maker upstairs to his room— you can take a seat wherever you want.” Bea’s voice and cool demeanor returned to her normal, proper self as she gestured to her living room, looking back as she took her first step on the stairs. “I’ll be back down soon, okay?”

She started up the stairs once Gloria gave her a nod and a smile.   
  


-•-

Gloria’s arms were killing her. Sure, Allister was light, but she just walked the better part of a couple of miles over to Bea’s house. She collapsed on the sofa, taking note of the perfectly neat home. Not a single speck of dust could be found on any surface, everything seemed to be exactly in place. She felt bad, like she was disrupting some feng shui just by existing and being a tired, clammy mess.   
  


Gloria closed her eyes,

_W_ _hat a weird night... like really weird. Bea was definitely... different, I’ve never seen her stutter or be so shy, huh..._

Gloria continued to reflect on the night, rubbing her hand on the smooth surface of her dusk ball as she waited for Bea to come back downstairs. 

-•-

Bea balanced Allister on her hip, stabilizing him with her left arm as she used her right hand to turn the knob on his door. The sheets on his bed made a triangle, giving Bea the perfect pocket to lay him down in.   
  


Once he was settled in bed, she gingerly lifted his head, undoing the strap that secured his mask.   
  


Bea jolted her hand backward as she saw two violet eyes illuminate the mask. Allister’s hand grabbed her wrist as he sprang into consciousness.   
  


“Look who’s awake!” Bea said brightly, popping his mask off with her free hand, “ _you’re grounded. Two weeks, no phone.”_

Allister groaned in defeat. Putting his hands to his face. “Bea wait! No I-I j-just couldn’t s-sleep!”

Bea ignored his various pleas for mercy. She didn’t like to punish him, but she knew she had to. Bea rolled the waistband of her sweatpants as she stood up to leave.   
  


“Sh-she talked about you!!”   
  


Bea paused at Allister’s doorway, turning her head curiously.   
  


“Y-yeah!” Allister sat up “Make it one week a-and I’ll tell you everything t-tomorrow morning?”   
  


“...”

”Deal.”

Allister sank back into bed, sighing in relief.   
  


“Sh-she complimented y-you a lot you know... called you feisty even...”

”Goodnight Allie...” Bea left, hiding her smile as she closed his door.   
  


-•-

Bea made her way downstairs, skipping a couple of steps.   
  


“Hey...” she approached Gloria, nervously fumbling with the waistband of her sweats again.   
  


“Listen, Bea, so sorry to barge in on you like this,” Gloria stood up, for some reason she felt nervous too...

”I had landed for the night and was on the balcony of my hotel when I heard Allister— he was just hangin’ out on the roof! I just figured it was the right thing to do and—“ 

“Hey— it’s fine, really,” Bea didn’t know what to do with her hands, “I’m just grateful you brought him home safe! Do you need anything? Water?”

Gloria sighed in relief, “I wouldn’t say no to some— I didn’t know you lived this far out from town!”   
  


Bea walked to her kitchen, furrowing her brow as she opened up one of her cupboards to grab a glass.

“Where are you staying? How far did you walk?”

“Oh uh...”

  
Gloria could see Bea strain on her tip toes to grab a glass. She walked over to help, quietly brushing beside her, grabbing the glass that Bea’s fingertips were reaching for. Gloria had never noticed how much shorter Bea was compared to her— not that she was a giant herself.   
  


“Here, let me help...”

  
Bea’s face began to glow red once again at Gloria’s proximity to her as she nonchalantly handed the glass to her.

Not noticing, Gloria turned around and leaned against the counter, folding her arms as she made contact with Bea’s silvery blue eyes,

“I’m staying at this smaller hotel near the Pokémon Center. It was sort of far I guess, but it was no problem hanging out with Allister.”   
  


Bea rushed to fill the glass with water, shaking off her blush internally.   
  
  


“Well that’s good!” She handed the glass to Gloria, “It’s so late and dark outside— do you know your way back? I could give you a hand if you don’t— our path can be sort of confusing at night...” Bea trailed off.   
  


_What am I saying? She’s the champion, the greatest battler of our league, she’s traveled all of Galar by foot, why would she need my—_

“Oh yes please. Thank Arceus. I was honestly working up my nerve to ask you for help, my phone died halfway through our trip here...” Gloria said sheepishly, scratching the back of her head.

She had already emptied her glass of water.   
  
  


Bea checked the time on the soft glow of her kitchen’s clock: almost 4 now...

”It’s getting so late, we’d better leave now huh? You and I have a big day with the boss tomorrow.”

Bea walked over to a different room, her voice trailing as she got further away from Gloria. She came back with a jacket as she beckoned for her to follow, her keys jingling in her hand.   
  


“Agreed...” Gloria couldn’t wait to collapse on the bed, even if it was just for a few hours. The door closed behind the two girls as they started on their way back to Gloria’s hotel.

-•-

“So you, the most _in-shape_ person in all of Galar,” Gloria said animatedly, locking her gaze on Bea’s face, “are telling me that you can pound 10 kilos of malasada given the chance?”

”Yup,” Bea said matter of factly, “call it a guilty pleasure of mine— I’d do anything for a day off locked in a bakery!” She tilted her head and closed her eyes, giving Gloria the tiniest hint of a smile. She took note of Gloria’s compliment.

_She’s kinda cute when she’s like this..._ Gloria thought

The two were finally nearing Gloria’s hotel, spending each minute with each other talking and laughing.

Gloria shivered, “Damn, I thought this place was a hot desert, I wasn’t expecting it to get so cold here...”

Bea glanced over to see Gloria rubbing her exposed arms and frowned, taking off her jacket.

“It does get cold at night here,” she said walking on her tip toes, draping her oversized bomber on Gloria’s shoulders, “Why don’t you keep this for tonight— you can give it back when we meet up tomorrow!”   
  


Gloria’s face burned this time around, she could feel her ears heating up in the still, moonlit air.   
  


“Thanks, Bea!” She said with a smile. Shockingly enough to Gloria, Bea returned her expression with a bright smile of her own.   
  


_She is SO cute..._

“Welp, this is me,” Gloria gestured awkwardly you the worn turquoise door, “thanks so much for the help... and the water... haha and the jacket! I thought I was the one helping you tonight, heh...” her voice turning shy and trailing off.

”Hey, it’s the least I could do to thank you for getting Allie back to me safe... really...” Bea replied, running her fingers through her silvery hair.   
  


the two stood there for a moment, silently looking at each other, desperately trying to come up with something to say.

”Well you-“

”It was-“ 

“Oops no—“

”Wait you go” 

Gloria’s internal monologue was just screaming at this point. Without thinking, she grabbed Bea by the shoulders, forcing eye contact.

Bea looked wide-eyed.

”Uh well, I just, I’m just trying to say—“ Gloria tried to drown out her internal screaming “—I like hanging out with you like this.”   
  


she let out a breath as she got the words out. 

_FINALLY_.

”It’s nice to see you relaxed, Bea! I hope we can find more time to hang out some more.”   
  


Gloria loosened her grip on Bea’s shoulders as she finished her sentiment with a warm smile. She rubbed her thumb over her soft tan skin unconsciously.

Bea looked like she was going to pass out. She simply nodded, taking a step back and taking Gloria’s hand in an awkward hand shake.   
  


“S-same here! Well— uh— gotta go!” She continued to back away from Gloria, hoping her tan would cover up the blush that was igniting her cheeks.   
  


-•-

Gloria chuckled to herself as she unlocked the door to her room— tonight hadn’t been as bad as she thought it would be.   
  


She plugged in her phone as she shuffled to the bathroom to prep for bed.   
  


She walked out, turning the light off in the bathroom and tossing a towel back onto the countertops, making her way to the covers. She checked her phone one last time before passing out from exhaustion. She cuddled Bea’s jacket to her chest unconsciously.

_Zero new notifications._


	8. Obligatory Flashback

Bea felt breathless, her heart was still pounding relentlessly as she closed the door to her room. She flung herself back into bed, smiling as she covered her face with her hands.

_She said she liked being with me! She thinks I’m the most in-shape person in Galar! I wonder if she meant to rub my shoulder like that..._

She curled back into her covers, reminiscing about her past run-ins with Gloria.

-•-

TWO YEARS EARLIER:

Bea emerged from the tunnel on the home side of Stow-on-Side’s stadium. A thunderous applause erupted from the crowd as she confidently strode toward her opponent. She waved to a few fans before settling on her half of the pitch, adjusting the belt that held her team. She looked down, tightening the knot on her crop top and fumbling with a wrinkle in her body suit. She closed her eyes and rolled her shoulders, giving her neck a hearty pop. Boos and jeers had spattered throughout the stands, meaning her opponent must be settled in too. She opened her eyes and saw her.   
  


Bea was _never_ nervous, but when she made contact with the girl’s fiery auburn eyes, she suddenly started to feel an odd tingle in her gut.   
  


_Get it together Bea. You’re not nervous, this is just another win to put under your belt.  
_

The two girls then started to approach each other, Bea curtly offering her hand to the challenger.

  
“Welcome, Gym Challenger. I’m Bea.” Her mic’d voice boomed throughout the pitch. The girl met her hand with hers and stared unwaveringly into her eyes.

Squeezing her hand firmly in a quick shake, Bea continued— making sure to rile the crowd up.   
  


“ _Do you have an unshakable spirit that won’t be moved, no matter how you are attacked? I think I’ll just test that out, shall I?”_

The crowd went wild as the Bea’s opponent furrowed her brow slightly. Bea was about to step back to her post when she heard the girl call out.

”It’s Gloria!”

Bea raised her eyebrows in surprise, typically gym battlers were known as numbers till they made it to the finals.

”You’re gonna want to remember that name when we’re finished here, love!” Gloria said with a wink, strutting back to her own post.   
  


_Arrogant ones always lose the quickest..._ Bea mused to herself as she huffed and took to her spot.

  
The lights then changed while the side barriers of the stadium raised. The battle was on. 

-•-

Bea’s heart sunk. her sir fetch’d collapsed, his leek sword falling limply beside him. She called him back, panicking as Gloria nonchalantly called back her own cinderace. She was getting absolutely _pounded._ Bea had never faced an opponent quite like Gloria before— she was completely out of her league at this point. She determinedly reached for her final Pokémon, _this is where I make my comeback, I’m not going to lose like this..._

Bea’s muscles in her arms flexed impressively as she threw her last ultra ball to the pitch, breaking open in a brilliant blast of white light to reveal her strongest Pokémon: her feared Machamp.

She could see Gloria hesitate slightly, dwarfed by her Pokémon’s impressive figure.

“Okay Cheep... It’s your time to shine!”

  
Gloria then tossed out her own ultra ball, albeit with much less gusto than Bea. Bea laughed internally, _who names their Pokémon ch—_  
  


The shrill cry of a corvinight exploded from its beak, wings clanging as it landed in front of Gloria. Bea clenched her teeth and narrowed her eyes. She switched on her Dynamax band and activated her ultra ball again. The intense pink and white light illuminated her face as she locked her gaze with Gloria’s.   
  
  
“Argh!! Fine then, let’s just destroy everything!” Bea cried as the ultra ball expanded in her palm, her strong arm unwavering from the increased weight. “Your skill is worthy of respect— and Gigantamaxing!”

Machamp was sucked back into the ball from the force of the enlarged pokeball. Bea cradled the massive ball of light in her arms, hugging it and closing her eyes before heaving it into the air.   
  


In an almost earth-shattering quake, Bea’s Gigantamaxed Machamp let out a roar that out-matched the crowd’s. A swift gust from the impact ruffled Bea’s intense silhouette, her steely blue eyes seemed to glow from the shade of the storm.

Gloria stood strong, giving Bea a big shit-eating grin as her own Dynamax band began to glow.   
  


Soon, her corvinight flapped its massive, dynamaxed wingspan in Bea’s stadium. Bea shuddered as the two colossal beasts clashed— hungry for victory.

-•-

The dust settled from the grand explosion. Machamp’s limp body shrank back to normal as Bea watched helplessly. Calling him back to the ball, she shook off the frustration of losing, forcing composure on herself. Bea was a gym leader after all, winning wasn’t the point— facilitating success was.

She tightened the knot on her top one more time as she dusted herself off, approaching Gloria one more time for a final handshake. The crowd continued to cheer, Bea heard a “WE STILL LOVE YOU BEA” off in the distance, she gave a weak wave as she continued to walk.

Soon Gloria’s confident figure was directly in front of Bea. She hadn’t noticed before, but Gloria had makeup on— and more than that— the makeup was still perfect.

_Was this even hard for her?_

Bea’s eyes were getting lost in Gloria’s gaze when she was snapped back to reality by the touch of Gloria’s hand grasping hers.

”Bea, thank you so much for the battle! You’re so strong!” Gloria said brightly, vigorously shaking Bea’s hand. She gave her a warm smile.

Bea decided to take this loss in stride, “I also want to thank you. Seeing your connection with your Pokémon, your fierce leadership, is a victory in and of itself. I look forward to seeing you grow throughout this gym challenge.” Bea stepped back, bowed, and administered the fighting type gym badge to Gloria. 

  
_I wonder if she’s this nice off the pitch... she still called me strong despite crushing me, what did her other battles look like?_

_-•-_

The following day, Bea decided to wake up extra early to get some training in— attempting to work the defeat out from her veins. She got herself ready, careful not to wake her sleeping brother as she slipped out their front door.

She jogged the wooded trail from her house to the neighboring prairie land, speeding herself up to conquer the various inclines she encountered. Powering through the burn she felt in her lungs, she started to finally feel free. Her small figure triumphantly broke from the forest brush, exploding into the early morning light reflecting off of the tall, wispy grass. Bea paused as she closed her eyes, breathing in the summer air. She walked toward the towering mesas in the distance, letting the tall grass tickle against her legs.

A red glint in the distance caught her eye as she made her way through the brush. A sharp boom accompanied the flash, followed by a small plume of smoke. She could hear faint panicked gibberish. Bea squinted and ran towards the commotion, quickening her pace as the smoke billowed further. 

  
She frantically cupped her hands around her mouth,

”Hey!” She bellowed, “Hey, what’s going on here??”

Her feet were beating the ground at breakneck speed now, a few figures were coming into focus now. She could see a cinderace hopping nervously around a crumpled lump on the ground while a staticky helioptile limped away in the tall grass.

Bea finally arrived to the scene in a panic, sliding to a stop as the small ember she saw from afar was turning into an angry blaze. She looked down at the ground to see a pale, electrified Gloria, strands of static zapping from her extremities.

Bea quickly heaved the girl into her arms and kicked her bag up into her grasp, feeling the hair on her arms singe as she broke into a sweat. She placed Gloria down gently away from the danger and turned her attention to her bag. She unzipped what felt like 100 different pockets till she got to Gloria’s stash of pokemon. Her eye was immediately caught by a net ball. The name ‘Gary’ was written on it in girly handwriting.   
  


Without giving it a second thought, she flung the ball into the air, hoping to get a water-type that would be able to stop this mad wildfire. The ball blasted open and Bea’s eyes widened. The Gyradose sprawled out on the land, revolting at the sight of the fire. It looked back at Bea, who had brought Gloria into her lap as she tried to snap her out of paralysis.

Suddenly Bea’s eyes met Gyarados.

_Shootshootshootshoot I am NOT a water type trainer— I have NO idea what I’m doing, what do I even say??? Uhhhhhhh!!!??_

”G-gyarados!! Use—“ Bea paused. What do water types do?? What moves can they use again??   
  


“Uhhhh!” She yelled uneasily “w-water? W-water the plants??”

_WHAT DID I JUST SAY??_

Somehow, by an act of Arceus himself, Gyarados unleashed a tidal wave of water from its gaping mouth, consuming the flames and everything in its path. Gallons of water sprayed back on Gloria and Bea, Bea trying her best to shield the unconscious girl from the onslaught of ice-cold water.

Bea called the Pokémon back to their respective balls, wading through the mud to grab cinderace’s ultra ball that was still at the scene. Bea approached Gloria again, seeing that she was still unconscious. She leaned over her, putting her ear to her chest. _Still beating. That’s good._ She moved her head close to her face, turning so her cheek hovered over Gloria’s nose. Suddenly, Gloria’s eyes shot open as she jolted upward, mashing her nose and lips against Bea’s cheek.

”AH!”

”WHOA”

Gloria looked around frantically, standing up and attempting to brush the mud from her clothes.

”Bea?? What are you doing h— wait, oh my gosh I am so sorry!!”

Gloria saw Bea gingerly cupping her cheek and immediately rushed to her.

”I didn’t know you were there— I just remember hearing a zap, then seeing cinderace let out a flamethrower, then feeling stuck, then maybe passing out, then someone watering my flowers??” Gloria was gesturing madly.   
  


Gloria paced back and forth in a panic, her boots squishing in the water-logged soil in front of Bea. She finally stopped pacing and crouched in front of Bea, brushing her fingertips against Bea’s cheek. Bea felt an involuntary blush spread across her cheeks.

”Oh gosh Bea, I’m so sorry, I really didn’t mean to headbutt you like that—“ she cupped her hand to Bea’s cheek, meeting the girl’s gaze with hers, “you’re so red! does it hurt? Do you need anything?”

Bea froze as she got lost in Gloria’s eyes again. _  
  
_

_Alright Bea... what’s going on here... why are you feeling like this, please for the love of all things polite, SAY SOMETHING AND STOP LOOKING DUMB_

“I uh— I watered your — it was me I had—“

_WHAT ARE YOU SAYING —NOOOOO KILL ME NOW I SHOULD HAVE JUMPED IN THE FIRE WHEN I HAD THE CHAN—_

Gloria’s brow furrowed, she looked incredibly confused. Suddenly, Bea’s hand shot up to Gloria’s wrist, removing her hand from her burning cheek.

  
“IthinkyougotzappedbyawildpokemonandIdidn’tknowwhattodosoIputthefireoutusingyourgyaradosandsavedbothourlives.”

”...”

”...”

Bea’s inner voice was horrified. Bea was known for her composure and icy demeanor. Years of training prepared her for this. What in the world was happening to her? Why did Gloria make her feel this way??

”Okay so I think you said...”

Gloria helped Bea up and proceeded to re-tell the gist of Bea’s garbled story, getting things mostly right.

”...and you thought, the best way to put out the fire was to tell Gary to... water the plants... _and it worked??”_

Bea hung her head in shame and nodded. The next thing she knew, Gloria had thrown her arms around her neck, pulling her into a tight embrace as she burst out laughing. Bea stumbled backwards a bit, instinctively wrapping her arms around Gloria’s waist to regain her balance.   
  


_I think I’m gonna faint._

”Bea thank you! I could’ve died out there, you did so good! I’d be a goner with out you...”

Bea set the enthused Gloria back down onto the ground, feeling her sink a little in the mush. Her hands lingered on her hips. She felt Gloria grab her face with both hands.

_I KNOW I’m gonna faint_

“Whew! You are _strong_! Anyways, thank you again... you’re my hero...” 

_I’m fainting._

Bea’s vision began to blur as Gloria’s voice trailed off into the expanse of consciousness. Her vision went black.

-•-  
  


PRESENT DAY:

  
“Beaaaa,” Allister hollered as he finished the last of his bagel ,”’M heading off t-to schoooool! W-wake up!”

Bea groaned and turned to her nightstand. Her phone said it was 8:30. She bolted up, _no way! I never sleep in this late!!_

Bea threw the covers off of her, wriggling out of her sweats and tank top in a flurry. 

_I’m gonna miss so much training time!!  
_

She hopped into the bottom half of a clean body suit she snatched from her closet, almost tripping as she ran down the stairs. The straps slapped against her shoulders as she reached the base of the stairs. Allister peeked his head from around the corner, grateful to see his sister decent.   
  


“I’ll s-see you after s-school?” Allister timidly asked his occupied sister.   
  


Bea whirled around to see her little brother, finishing a breakfast that _she_ should’ve been responsible enough to prepare for him. She sighed in defeat, walking over to her brother, engulfing him in a brief side hug.   
  


“I’m so sorry I slept in today ghostie, I’ll make sure to be on time to pick you up!” She brought him into an inescapable headlock and planted a tiny kiss at the top of his head, much to his chagrin. She eventually released him. 

”O-okay— a-alright sis...” Allister mumbled as he walked to the counter to pick up his mask.   
  


He shuffled out the door as Bea watched with one hand on her hip, the other hand holding a glass of half-finished milk that Allister left behind. Bea downed the glass and continued her day, grabbing her duffel bag when she heard the front door close.   
  


Today was the day she got briefed on being the pre-season opener, she needed to be prepared.   
  


She was so excited that she hadn’t seen Gloria’s text from this morning... 

    

    


	9. A Mutually Beneficial Partnership

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For some reason, I just see Chairman Rose as like... A slime ball/ Saul Goodman type dude— so I wrote him to be gross! Sorry!

Gloria awoke unusually early the next morning. She groaned as she tried to hide from the spears of light bleeding through her curtains. She slapped her hand on the nightstand, flopping it to and fro till she landed on her phone. She kept her face smashed against her pillow.   
  


“Rotom...” she grumbled, her voice muffled by the pillow, “Wha’ time’s it...?”

Her phone shot up towards her face, “7:00 am, Ms. Gloria.” The phone buzzed robotically.   
  


“Uuuuuuuggghghhhh,” Gloria flopped onto her back, her sheets sprawling across her body, “too early...” 

She decided to sit up and start getting ready, rubbing the sleep from her drowsy eyes. She shuffled to the bathroom to pick up her toothbrush, stopping only to briefly glance down at her home screen.   
  


_Still nothing._

She plopped back into bed, toothbrush in her mouth.   
  


_I hope Bea is doing okay... She really went out of her way for me last night.  
_

Gloria picked up the jacket that had fallen to the floor while she was asleep.   
  


_I should find some way to say thank you..._

Gloria grabbed her phone and scrolled through her endless list of contacts. She finally landed on Bea’s name. She tapped and created a new thread.   
  


Gloria👑: Morning Bea! So sorry again for bothering you last night, it was a weird night. But like, good weird!

Gloria knitted her brow, trying her best to navigate this text message.   
  


Gloria👑: Like not that you’re weird— I’M weird

Gloria cringed, _BACKSPACE DUMBASS._

She nervously bit down on her toothbrush, bouncing her leg as she tried to find the words.   
  


_Okay just be nice. This is like a thank you! Bea likes... she likes sweets... and breakfast has sweets I think? Breakfast is SO low commitment..._

Gloria👑: Anyways, you always seem to be saving my day! I’m going to be heading out for coffee, wanna come with?

Gloria tapped the send button before she could overthink. She began aggressively brushing her teeth on the way to her sink. She looked at herself in the mirror, running her fingertips across the bags under her eyes.

Today was going forward whether she liked it or not, so she turned the faucet on and splashed her face with cold water.   
  


Dabbing her face with a towel, she anxiously checked for a reply. Still nothing. Huffing, Gloria tossed her day bag onto the bed, rummaging around for an outfit she knew full well she hadn’t packed.   
  


She glanced down at her running shorts and t-shirt, unimpressed. _Stow-on-Side HAS to have a place where I can buy some clothes..._

With that thought, Gloria slung the strap of her bag over her shoulder and slipped on her shoes, heading out into the blinding light of the morning sun.   
  


-•-

Gloria delighted in the bustling life of the small town’s Main Street. Lined with vendors shouting their daily specials, Gloria weaved through flowering maractus carrying vibrant produce. She could hear the jingle of cash being exchanged and smell the fresh fragrance of food getting prepared. She finally made it to her destination, a small mom-and-pop shop with some clothes for her.   
  


Gloria approached the register with a pair of soft, olive green short-shorts and a tan cotton v-neck. She placed the items down, giving the cashier a warm, glowing smile as she fished for her money.   
  


“We don’t normally see the champion roam through these parts,” The cashier said, pointing at Gloria.   
  


“What brings you here today?”

”Work! Well work mostly, but also catching up with a— uh— a dear friend.” Gloria almost dropped her wallet from her bag as she stumbled over her words.   
  


“Well, thanks so much for dropping by!” The exchange ended with another round of warm smiles.

Gloria checked her phone again. Still no response.   
  
  


Gloria had finally made it back to her room, happy to see room service had already come to tidy it up. After dropping her phone and bag off on the bed, she made her way to the bathroom, pulling off her shirt and wriggling out of her shorts. Flicking off the shorts stuck on her ankle, Gloria brought her gaze to the mirror that was now in front of her. Her eyes slid down from her face to her chest. Marnie’s nail marks were still there...

Gloria hated seeing them on her body still. She hated knowing that Marnie even touched her. Yet, in the back of her mind, she knew she’d give anything to have woken up by her side, feeling her play with her hair. Gloria couldn’t shake the unease she had in her heart though, _It feels like a bad dream... she never talks to me like that..._

_A good fuck...?_

Gloria’s hands patted her cheeks to bring her back to the real world. Marnie said what she said, she’ll talk to her when she’s ready. She finished getting dressed in the bathroom, checking herself out to make sure no tags were still attached. She actually really loved how soft the shorts were.

Gloria crawled back on the bed, tossing her bag to the ground and picking up her phone. She sighed.   
  


It was now 8:30– still no response. Maybe Bea really _did_ hate Gloria, and she was just making a fool of herself. Bea had always been skittish around her, but then again, the two seemed to only meet up in the strangest situations. Gloria conceded to herself, _I actually did like hanging out with her last night... she’s funny! And cute..._

An involuntary blush began to bloom on her cheeks. She rolled to be on her stomach, kicking her feet in the air as she continued to muse about Bea. Her thoughts were interrupted by a rolling grumble in her stomach.

_Guess I’ll have to grab breakfast without her today..._

Gloria got ready again, pausing one more time to take another look at herself in the mirror. She smiled.

Bea’s jacket looked great on her.

-•-

Bea finished putting her other leg into her favorite pair of shorts and started jogging into town. She had a bright skip to her step as she expertly navigated the dirt trail to Main Street. Today felt like a good day to grab a scone, a small smile formed on her face as she began to think about what today had in store for her.   
  


She brightly greeted the locals, brightly shaking hands and waving to her favorite vendors. Stow-on-Side was alive and bustling with vigor as she walked. A chorus of hellos to her hung in the happy morning air.   
  


“Morning Bea!”

”Hey look who’s back in town! It’s our Bea!”

”Stop by later on your way back home, Bea, we’ll fix your dinner on the house!”

Bea waved and chatted with each person, grateful for the city she so proudly gets to represent.

She finally arrived at her treasured destination. The door jingled as she saw herself in to her favorite bakery. The sweet, wonderful smells of baked goods had Bea love drunk. Gently closing the door behind her, she waved to familiar faces.   
  


“Jelly Bean!” A jolly voice boomed from behind the counter. Bea huffed at her ridiculous nickname.

”That’s me...” she said shyly as she approached the display, ogling at the wide variety of options she could choose from.

”What’ll it be today, kiddo? You in a berry pie mood? Looking at those donuts? Oh— I know.” The burly man behind the counter turned around and brought over a glass cloche to Bea, reading her mind completely.   
  


“Your look says it all, let me pack some up for you!” He said with a wink. Bea flashed a quick smile that made him laugh as he went to the back. She took a seat at a small table for two, drumming her fingers against the counter top.   
  


Bea heard a flush from the bakery’s bathroom, thinking nothing of it. The squeak of the faucet also permeated the ambiance of the bakery. Slightly annoyed, she turned her gaze to the door, wanting to see who else was occupying the small restaurant with her. Her eyes widened.   
  


“Gloria?”

  
_BE COOL._

”Bea?”

”What are you doing here?” Bea asked politely, genuinely curious.   
  


“Well... I was hoping to have breakfast with you...” Gloria paused, playing with the zipper of Bea’s jacket, “I texted you this morning and never heard back,” she gestured to the table next to Bea, a small brown bag sat upon it. “I figured you might still be sleeping, so I — well, I heard that you like— I got you a little something as a thank you from last night...”

Gloria shyly took her seat next to Bea, who could feel her ears starting to burn. _She texted me?? When??_

Bea pulled out her phone quickly to see if she had received a text, and lo and behold, her home screen had Gloria’s name in its notifications. Bea’s heart sank as a frown formed on her face. She unconsciously put her hand on Gloria’s knee, “Gloria I’m so sorry— I literally woke up like two seconds ago and never checked my—“ Bea could see Gloria’s gaze fall to her hand.   
  


_WHY DID I TOUCH HER WHY._

_”_ —oops— heh my phone...”

Bea could feel her ‘inner-self’ banging its head on an imaginary wall.   
  


_I NEED YOU TO NOT BE WEIRD. FOR LIKE. 60 CONSECUTIVE SECON—_

Bea began to retract her hand but was stopped when Gloria put her hand on top of hers, sweetly patting it.   
  


“Hey! Don’t worry about it, we ended up seeing each other anyway.” Gloria smiled and looked into Bea’s eyes, completely missing out on Bea’s flushed cheeks. A bell dinged in the background.   
  


“Alrighty Jelly Bean, I’ve got you all se— ooo who’s this?”

Gloria’s jaw dropped as Bea shot a glare at the baker, standing up to pay him.   
  


“ _Don’t call me that in— ugh!!”_ She whispered harshly, the baker putting up his hands in defense as he smiled sheepishly.   
  


“Jelly Bean. Jelly Bean! He calls you Jelly Bean, that’s so CUTE!” Gloria said gleefully, following Bea to the cash register. She stretched out her hand to the baker, who was dodging looks from the disgruntled girl.   
  


“I’m Gloria— the current champion of Galar. I’m in town visiting Bea for work—“ she nudged Bea with her elbow “— and a little play!” She winked at Bea, who seemed to be melting in humiliation.   
  


Gloria took note of the time on the bakery clock, grabbing the bag on the table as well as Bea’s hand.   
  


“Look at the time though! _Jelly Bean_ and I gotta go! Bye!”

_She’s holding my hand she’s holding my hand she’s holding my hand—_

The bakery door jingled once more as the two rushed out, hand-in-hand.

”You never told me you had the cutest nickname ever!” Gloria said cheerfully to a mortified Bea.   
  


The two paused, looking at each other, then to their conjoined hands. Gloria let go awkwardly.   
  


“Oh haha, I didn’t mean to surprise you like that, I figured you just— well it— I mean we needed to leave heh...”

Bea wanted to get crushed by a steelix. She couldn’t process the embarrassment, excitement, and shyness all at once. 

“He’s been calling me that for a while now...” Bea miraculously pulled herself together to walk side-by-side with Gloria, subtly checking her out.   
  


_Her outfit looks nice... she looks good in my jacket._

The two managed to recover, easing in to easy conversation while they trekked their way to the stadium.

Gloria called her jelly bean the whole way there.

Bea liked it.   
  


-•-

To their surprise, the chairman and his assistant were already waiting for the two girls. Bea grabbed her keys and unlocked the door to let them into the office of the stadium. Rose and Oleana shuffled in first, with Gloria following. Bea was the last one in as she shut the door behind them. The first level of her office was a large, expansive, painfully clean gym. The temperature was kept at a low 65, Bea liked it that way. Rose pulled up a folding chair and sat down right in the middle, rolling a dumbbell away with his foot, beckoning the girls to sit down.   
  


Gloria sat down, criss-crossing her legs while Bea sat with one leg stretched out, the other tucked by her butt. She leaned forward, popping her back as she reached toward her ankle. _Look at those legs, wow..._

”Alright She-Ra and Unbeatable Champion 2.0,” Rose started, the girls looked at each other and rolled their eyes.   
  


“We have about a month and a half?” Rose glanced at Oleana who gave him a curt nod. “Alright a month and a half till we’re in this stadium getting our battle on. I’d like to propose what I’d like to call a ‘mutually beneficial’ relationship between you two before we get this party started...” He shifted in his chair as he crossed his legs. Gloria and Bea eyed each other nervously.   
  


“You see,” he continued, twirling his hair with his index finger, “we did some focus groups on how people are reacting to your existing uniform, Gloria. Consensus is: they hate it.”

Gloria smiled and let out a small laugh “I’m not surprised sir, _I_ hate it too. Looked WAY better on Leon...” her voice trailed off as the room gave a small round of chuckles.   
  


“Eeexactly. This year, we’ve completely redesigned the outfit and people are responding _well_ this time around. Oleana, come on over and show ‘em what we got!”

The stern assistant walked to his side, a leather bag in tote. She opened the bag to reveal a sleek, black and gold, two piece uniform. The top had interlacing straps that created a lattice pattern in the back. The front was adorned with the insignia of the champion, gold pinstripes running down the glossy, spandex-y material. Gloria’s eyes widened.

”You want me to wear _that?_ What, is the gym challenge now just a wet t-shirt contest??”   
  


Gloria shifted uncomfortably and turned her eyes to Bea. She saw a big blush spreading, her eye brows raised to astronomical levels on her cute forehead. _Can someone have a cute forehead...?_

”Hey,” the chairman said aloofly, “the polls don’t lie— we’re gonna have to go with this uni this season— the sponsors already signed off!” He uncrossed his legs and leaned forward.   
  


“Which is where our little mutual partnership is going to come into play between you two. Bea?”

Bea seemed to be spacing out, giving the chairman a spacey “Huh?”

”You’re gonna whip Gloria’s little champion booty into shape. You’ve got like 50 days to make some magic happen. Gloria?”

Gloria gritted her teeth, “Yes Rose?”

”Any time you’re not spending getting model-ready with lady Adonis here will be spent training with her and her Pokémon, got it?”   
  


Bea cocked her brow, giving Gloria a side eye. 

“Listen ladies, we need this battle to have that wow factor— and in order to make some magic, we need this fight to 1) have some gorgeous ladies in it and 2) last more than 10 minutes.” Rose directed the last part to Gloria as Bea hung her head.   
  


“Any questions girls?” Rose asked, his question bouncing stupidly off of the insulted girls.   
  


“Great! Well we will get outta your hair and leave you to it!” Rose got up, tossing the new uniform to Gloria.   
  


“Sponsors can’t wait to see you in that little getup, call me if you have questions!”   
  


With that, Rose and Oleana were gone, leaving the two girls dumbfounded.   
  


Gloria looked at Bea, frowning.   
  


“Did he just... call me fat...?”

”I think he said I sucked at my job...” Bea replied, scratching the back of her head anxiously.   
  


“No way! You’re definitely not bad. Technically—“ Gloria tapped the bottom of her chin as she reflected internally “since our last tournament, you were the only one to actually knock out two of my Pokémon— Leon didn’t even do that!” Bea’s expression softened slightly, giving Gloria a half-assed smile as she stood up. She offered her hand to Gloria. Her demeanor suddenly changed.   
  


“Well Gloria, I’m sure I have much to learn from you. How long will you be in town? If you’d like to take the chairman’s orders seriously, I’ll need to know your schedule to get a regimen put together.”   
  


Gloria frowned, walking over to the large mirrors as she looked herself up and down, glancing at the uniform crumpling in her hands. She forced a smile as she looked behind her to Bea.   
  


“That bad huh...?” She could feel a small lump form in her throat, her ears started to burn.   
  


-•-

Bea felt like poop. She barely heard anything past the chairman’s comments on her performance as a gym leader.   
  


_Goodness... was our last match really less than ten minutes...?_

Gloria’s voice sounded 1,000 miles away. To be honest, she didn’t quite hear what she said at all.   
  


“I think he said I sucked at my job...” Bea could feel frustration building inside her. She tried her best to never take things personally, but for some reason, his comments hurt. She closed her eyes briefly. Turning off her face, turning off her brain, and turning on the Bea that everyone knew her to be: emotionless.   
  


She heard what she thought were some comforting words from Gloria to which she gave her best response. She promptly stood up and helped Gloria to stand. Time for work.   
  


“Well Gloria, I’m sure I have much to learn from you. How long will you be in town? If you’d like to take the chairman’s orders seriously, I’ll need to know your schedule to get a regimen put together.” Bea spent zero time thinking about how her words sounded, she just wanted to bury her emotions in work and drown them with sweat. She noticed Gloria’s face furrow into a frown as she turned away from her. Bea was confused. Gloria slowly approached the mirrors in her Gym, fumbling with the bottom of her shirt.   
  


_Was it something I said?_

Bea’s heart sunk as her eyes met Gloria’s. She could see a pink ring form around the corners of her eyes as she gave Bea a weak grin, blinking hard.   
  


“That bad huh...?”

_Shoot. No. How do I deal with this? I don’t want her to cry, what happened again? Oh— right. The uniform?_

Gloria hid her face with her hands as the cogs in Bea’s head finally started to engage. She started to panic.   
  


“N-no way!” Bea said, desperately trying to save face. “Gloria, Rose is just gross. And so is everyone else on the board— you know that!”   
  


Bea approached Gloria, reaching out for her.   
  


“Gloria— everyone loves you!” _  
  
_

_Alright Bea, doing good so far, you’re keeping your weird levels down..._

”A-and I know like a million dudes that would kill to be with you. Like seriously, people ask me all the time if I know you so they can get a date with you!”   
  


_Okay, a little weird, but still okay._

Gloria sniffled as Bea grabbed her shoulders, shaking them gently.   
  


“ _Hey—_ and I for one think you look—“ _Wait no hold on wait— let’s woodshed this idea fir— “_ absolutely _gorgeous.”_

_That was weird. It’s so weird now. Why am I still holding onto her??_

Gloria’s hands suddenly met Bea’s waist as she pulled her in for a hug. Bea let her own hands slide from Gloria’s shoulders to her back. Gloria squeezed her tight.

”Thank you...” Gloria sniffed again, “ _Jelly Bean...”_

The two laughed nervously as they held onto each other. Gloria suddenly pulled away, walking to be beside Bea in front of the mirror. Bea looked down at her, confused. A jolt of electricity suddenly shot out her spine as she felt Gloria’s fingertips trace over her abs. Bea’s heart rate shot up, _definitely_ within earshot of Gloria.   
  


“Uhhh...” Bea said dumbly.   
  


_WHAT’S HAPPENING. WHOA THERE._

Gloria stared longingly in the mirror, then switched her gaze to lock eyes with Bea.   
  


“I wanna do this, Bea.”

_She wants to do this? Huh? Does she me—_

_“_ Don’t go easy on me either— I want this. I want to dedicate myself—“ 

_There’s no way this is actually happening, I’m definitely drea—_

Bea’s face softened as she stared intensely into Gloria’s eyes.

”—to working out and becoming just as strong as you are. I’ll make arrangements at the hotel tonight and tell you my schedule tonight!!” Gloria said with a bright smile.

_OH.  
_

”OH.” Bea said a little too loudly. She cleared her throat, swallowing hard as she felt her heartbeat throb in her neck, “Yes! Definitely. Haha...” She backed away from Gloria’s curious hands, nervously fumbling with the waistband of her shorts. “Sounds great! Gotta go now!”   
  


Bea made a beeline for the door, stumbling over the dumbbell Rose had kicked aside earlier.   
  


“This was fun! Need to uh— pick Allister up from— his thing? Bye!”   
  


Gloria stood there— completely oblivious to Bea’s flushed cheeks, never hearing her throbbing heartbeat.

”Oh, sounds good!” Gloria waved sweetly as she gave her a smile. “Oh Bea—“ she called out just as the door to the office was opening “—one more thing!” Gloria walked over to Bea’s panicked figure.   
  


“thanks for everything you said today,” she said as she reached for Bea’s hand, pulling her towards herself, “I’m not sure if everything you said was true, but—“ she leaned in to whisper in Bea’s now-scarlet red ear “ _you can tell the boys who ask about me: thanks but no thanks..._ ” she planted a small, chaste peck on Bea’s warm cheek as she walked through the door nonchalantly.

”I like girls!” She finished cutely, winking at Bea before skipping out to the courtyard of the Gym. 

_I think... the next month and a half is going to go GREAT..._

  
Bea touched her fingertips to her cheek as she locked the door.


	10. Web Continues to be Woven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thanks for the feedback, hope you’re having a great springtime so far ❤️

Gloria had butterfree raging in her stomach as she left the office— starting on her path back to the hotel.   
  


_What the HELL am I doing?? What if Bea’s straight?? Didn’t she date Milo once...? If she didn’t before, she definitely hates me now.  
  
_

Gloria quickened her pace.   
  


_But she looked so nice... I’ve never felt a set of abs like that in my LIFE.  
_

A dumb grin spread across her face as she thought about Bea.   
  


_We’re gonna be spending more time with each other— maybe we can just work this weird kink out. I should probably hold back on being so gay all the time..._

She passed by the vibrant shops once more, lost in thought, her steps in the sandstone crunching rhythmically.   
  


_Maybe I’m over thinking this whole thing. Maybe Bea liked it? She didn’t push me away at all..._

She closed her eyes, sighing deeply as her silhouette began to get lost in the crowd.   
  


_This whole Marnie situation should be making me feel a whole lot worse too... I just... don’t feel as sad about it when I’m with her..._

Snapshots of Bea suddenly appeared in Gloria’s mind, her smile, the way she always fumbled with her waistband, the way her body looked when she stretched, those dreamy blue-gray eyes.

_Dreamy eyes?? Since when do I think people have dreamy eyes?_

_  
_

An audible “ughh” escaped Gloria’s lips as she rubbed her cheek sheepishly. She had arrived to the hotel, once again scraping her feet against the mat in the lobby. She felt her face heat up involuntarily as she tried to shake the memory of tracing Bea’s toned stomach from her brain.   
  


_Did Marnie treat me so bad that I take basic human decency as someone being into me? This isn’t normal..._

She propped her elbows on the counter after dinging the service bell. She took out her phone and browsed through her text threads. Her thumb landed on Nessa’s name.   
  


_Time to call backup.  
_

-•-

Marnie had seen better days. Her morpeko was desperately trying to goad her out of bed, where she’d lain for what felt like 24 hours straight. Marnie’s gaze was fixated on the ceiling fan above her. Dozens of crumpled up pieces of notebook paper surrounded Marnie like a messy halo, offsetting her gloomy, dark look ironically.   
  


The morpeko landed on her chest with a tiny thump. Marnie gave him a half-assed pat as she finally decided to make eye contact with him.   
  


“Hey lil dude...” she said, sounding depressed, “sorry ‘bout this... mama fucked her whole life up over nothing again...” she sat up, letting out a geriatric groan. The confused Pokémon slid into her lap. She wrapped her arms around him. “I don’t suppose you know anything about grand romantic gestures, do you?”

Morpeko stared, cocking his head towards Marnie. She let out a huff. She walked to her vanity, she hadn’t checked her phone since her fight with Gloria yesterday afternoon. Tapping the button on the side, her home screen illuminated, showing a picture of them together. They were in front of her mirror, wearing each other’s gym outfits. Marnie was behind Gloria, her arm slung protectively across her shoulders. Her other hand flipping off the camera. Gloria was nestled comfortably under Marnie’s arm, giving a cheerful smile and a piece sign. Marnie was smiling too. A thousand pangs of guilt and sadness railed Marnie in the gut and heart.   
  


“Fuuuuuuck meeeee.”

_I’m gonna need some serious help un-fucking this situation.  
_

Marnie unlocked her phone, opening up her list of contacts. There was only one other person who could match her level of petty bitchiness, and she managed to find herself in the happiest relationship she’d ever seen. Marnie’s thumb hovered over a name: 

Water Thot 🐟

Marnie let out a nervous breath as she tapped on the name.   
  


-•-

The spring time sun beat down on Bea as she locked up her office.   
  


_That was a wild ride..._

She craned her neck and squinted, looking at Gloria as she skipped her way into the distance. Bea looked down at her hands.   
  


_She voluntarily put her face on my face... she definitely kissed my cheek. She likes girls?? She looks like — well — not like she likes girls???_

Bea squeezed her key ring anxiously as she left the building, her heart racing. She brought her hand to her stomach as she walked.   
  


_Was she feeling me up??? What was I supposed to do? Come ON Bea, be a little more proactive here, some good things are happening!_

She cautiously allowed herself to smile as she fished her phone out. She texted Allister that she was on her way to pick him up, setting a small trap to see if he had taken his phone while she was asleep.   
  


As she walked, Bea felt like she was in a free fall. She had been in short-lived relationships in the past, she cringed as she thought of poor Milo, but she had never found herself feeling like this for anyone before— much less someone she was in direct competition with.

She immediately started thinking about what training for Gloria should look like, the professional side of her brain kicking in. She tried to picture what Gloria looked like now,  
  


_She’s definitely not fat so we’re not gonna do anything to lose weight. She is kinda skinny though, maybe we should do some weight training— bulk up those quads..._

Gloria’s face suddenly appeared in Bea’s mind.   
  


_Oh she really does have such a cute face... I feel like I always stare at her eyes too much..._

Bea jolted to a stop.

_What? No. Back to business Bea, let’s not go overboard here, it was just a peck on the cheek.  
  
_

Bea’s face blushed as Allister’s school became visible in the distance.   
  


_I like how she calls me Jelly Bean..._

Bea had a dreamy smile forming on her face as she mused about the champion.   
  


_I’m shorter than her, but I noticed my hands were bigger than hers... they’re so soft..._

Bea’s ankle buckled.

  
“WHOA!”   
  


Next thing she knew, Bea was on her butt in the middle of the trail. Some pidove flew out of a nearby tree as Bea stood back up, feverishly dusting her bottom as she looked at the giant root that tripped her.   
  


_Get a GRIP girl._

A notification from her phone snapped her gaze to her hand. Allister was ready to be picked up. Shaking off the embarrassment and the pain in her ankle, Bea jogged the rest of the trail to pick up her little brother.

-•-

Allister’s legs kicked back and forth on the bench outside of his school. His book bag was in his lap and a folded slip of paper was clutched in his hand. He felt nervous around this time of year as school began to wind down.   
  


He saw his sister jogging toward him, a bright smile plastered on her face. _That’s weird..._

”T-took you l-long ‘nuff...” Allister hopped off the bench and shuffled towards his sister who was wiping some perspiration off of her brow. She leaned forward towards him, patting the top of his head.

”How was school today, bud? Are you so pumped for summer time to be here already?” The two started walking home, Allister leaning his head against Bea’s side as her hand cradled his masked head.

_Well... gotta tell her about evaluation night... ugh..._

He silently handed the paper to Bea as they walked. Bea cleared her throat a little as she read the slip, folding it again quietly as she looked down at Allister sheepishly.

”Oh I see... Yeah parent/teacher night at the end of the year is always sort of weird isn’t it...” She started playing with the waistband of her shorts again.

Allister let out a gloomy sigh as he walked. Bea had officially become his legal guardian about four-ish years ago, when they moved out of Bea’s parent’s house and Bea took over the major league gym in Stow-on-Side. She really did give them a good life, so he never complained.

_I actually... really like living with her..._

Allister allowed his normally gloomy thoughts to clear for a moment as he smiled, thinking about life at home with Bea. Allister suddenly started walking a little straighter, forcing some confidence in himself as he reached for his sister’s hand. 

”I d-don’t think it’s w-weird...” Allister’s voice wavered, “I th-think it’s t-totally n-normal.” He tugged on Bea’s hand. She looked down at the masked boy.

”I-it’s _our_ n-normal...” Allister said with a smile, he hoped Bea could hear it. He could see his sister’s eyes get misty as she snapped her eyes and head back to looking forward.   
  
  


The two were silent for a while until Bea stopped and crouched down beside Allister. A tear rolled down her cheek. She grabbed the boy’s shoulders.

”Allister. _You_ are the best thing that ever happened to me.” She pulled him in for a quick hug, then pushed him back out, still holding onto his shoulders. “You say the sweetest things to me. Which is why it’s so hard when I have to do things like this.” Bea put her hand out to Allister, palm up, fingers beckoning.   
  


“That’s right. _Bea never forgets_ , little guy...”

Allister huffed as he fished his phone out of his pocket and dropped it into Bea’s palm in defeat.

”D-darn... I th-thought I’d g-get away with i-it...” He sighed, a sad breath rushing through his mask. The two continued to walk as the afternoon sun turned the town a deep orange. He looked up at his sister one more time as they approached the end of the trail to their house.

”I-I still l-love you s-sis. Y-you’re doing a... a g-great job...” 

Bea jiggled the key into the lock of their home and looked down at Allister. She simply smiled and beckoned him to come inside. She immediately started to unload the fridge and pantry for dinner, setting the ingredients in a meticulously straight line, in order of addition on their kitchen island. Allister heaved his book bag onto their table, unzipping it and pulling out a folder and a book. He placed his mask down as Bea put away dishes from the dishwasher.

”I-I still o-owe you...” He said shyly, kicking his legs again. “W-wanna know wh-what _Gloria_ said about y-you...?” He giggled a little. Bea turned red.

”Absolutely. But homework first, you can tell me while I check over it.” She ruffled his hair and went upstairs to change out of her body suit.

_Life is still good— even when I’m grounded..._

Allister’s pencil happily scratched against his school work.

-•-

Gloria chickened out— 

_Maybe this is something I can figure out on my own!_

She walked back upstairs to the top floor, but put her keys into the door of a different room. Gloria felt a big, shit-eating grin spread across her face as the door swung open, revealing a bigger, more luxuriously furnished room.   
  


“That’s more like it...” she flopped onto the giant mattress, engulfed by a cloud of pillows and duvets.   
  


She glanced down at her phone to see if Marnie had grown a pair and texted her back. Still nothing.   
  


_Maybe she meant what she said..._

Gloria felt tears well up in her eyes once again as she thought of Marnie. She pulled a picture of her up on her phone, tracing her fingers against the screen.

_I miss her._

Gloria spent a solid half hour crying and feeling sorry for herself. This was her first real heartbreak and she hadn’t given herself much time to process it. She _hated_ feeling this way.

_I’d rather do ANYTHING other than this right now. I’d rather feel anything else than this._

She flopped onto her back, letting out a quivering sigh. She sniffed hard as she sat up and rubbed her face with her hands. Her eyes wandered the room till they got caught on Gloria’s new uniform. The black spandex shimmered in the afternoon sun. She rolled her eyes and huffed, remembering the “mutually beneficial” partnership Rose had mentioned earlier. She knit her brow.

_Now that I think about it... Rose DID kind of say Bea sucked... I don’t think I helped her at all— meanwhile she made sure I was alright because I was throwing a hissy fit._

She immediately grabbed her phone.   
  


_Oh my— SHIT— Marnie was totally right. Do I always have to be the center of attention??_

Gloria thumbed furiously through her phone, drafting up a message to Bea. She paused, looking around her empty room.   
  


_Why am I texting her? I’m not doing anything... Why not take my mind off things for a while..._

Gloria stood up and grabbed her bag, putting her key tag between her teeth as she began fishing for a specific Pokémon. Her fingers grazed the surface of an incredibly worn out Pokeball with the name “Cheep” written on it in faded marker. She persuaded the door close with her toe as she slung the strap of her bag over her shoulder. With the lock of the door secured, she walked her way down the empty staircase.

-•-

The wind whipped through Gloria’s hair, her hand was brought to her forehead acting as a visor to save her vision from the sun. Her eyes squinted as she scanned the rural suburbs of Stow-on-Side till her eyes were caught by her prize.   
  


_Bingo._

Gloria gave Cheep’s neck a hearty pat, pointing to her desired destination. The corvinight cried out, giving her a brief nod indicating his understanding. Gloria’s stomach flipped as her and her ride dive-bombed downward. Gloria let out a gleeful yell as she firmed her grip on Cheep, closing her eyes as the atmosphere melted away at breakneck speed.   
  


The two landed with a boom that shocked various wild Pokémon out of the neighboring wooded area. Gloria hoisted herself off of Cheep, dropping down and cupping his face in her hands, pressing her forehead to his cold beak.   
  


“Thanks Cheepy boy, I owe you one!”   
  


The door opened, Allister’s little figure peeking from behind the door. He held his mask up with his hand.  
  


“G-Gloria! What are y-you d-doing here?” He asked as Gloria approached the porch.   
  


“Bea and I had a meeting with Rose today— I’m here to follow up on some things with her if that’s alright with you two?” She said sweetly. Cheep flapped menacingly towards Gloria, sending a whoosh of air that flicked her hair triumphantly. Allister felt extra small, gesturing for Gloria to come inside. Gloria recalled Cheep to his worn ball sauntering last Allister.

  
He secured the strap of his mask as he walked behind her.

Gloria breathed in the clean scent of their home, taking in once again how neat and perfect everything seemed to be. Her eyes were caught by Bea, curled up in her sofa shuffling some papers. She had a pencil cutely tucked behind her ear. One new feature stood out adorably to Gloria: 

_Bea has GLASSES? She looks so smart and sexy like that..._

”Was that Cheep I heard outside just now?” Bea asked, getting up and handing the loose leaf paper to Allister, who was waiting expectantly for her.

”Oh— yes! How did you know his name?” Gloria asked sheepishly as she ran her fingers through her bangs.

Bea adjusted the strap of her cropped tank top and cocked her eyebrow. She took off her glasses, holding them as she leaned forward and rested her elbow on her island. Her eyes locked with Gloria’s intensely.

”He almost ended my career—“ she bit the end of the wire frames of her glasses, “-on _multiple_ occasions...” 

Gloria would’ve felt worse about Bea’s words, had she not been so distracted by her beauty. Gloria could feel a nervous flush overcome her body as she tried to find a response to her.

”That— well— I’m not entirely—“ 

_I think this could be going better for literally everyone holy SHIT Gloria._

”Listen— before I get stuck in this rabbit hole— I was hoping I could get some time with you to talk about our, erm, meeting with Rose today.”

Gloria finally stumbled out her words as she bravely approached Bea, who held her gaze unwaveringly. Bea cracked and slightly softened her expression as she leaned back and gestured to her back door.

”Sure Gloria, want to sit outside? Allister! I circled three of those story problems— I want to see them fixed when I come back in!” She said slightly sternly. Allister nodded as Gloria and Bea stepped through the sliding door frame, their figures washed by the deep red light of the late afternoon sun.

Gloria sighed in relief, her nerves throwing her heart into a tizzy.   
  


_Note to self: don’t ride Cheep to Bea’s ever again..._

Gloria loved Bea’s backyard. The air felt tranquil as Bea sat in a wicker loveseat, putting her feet up on the outdoor coffee table and looking at Gloria expectantly. There was another chair on the other side of the coffee table that Gloria could’ve taken, but she decided she wanted to be close to Bea. Gloria plopped down on the cushion beside Bea, letting her eyes linger on her face for just a second before speaking.

”Bea...” Gloria started, her eyes stuck on the icy blue color of Bea’s eyes.

”...yes...?” Bea’s eyebrow raised, making Gloria nervous.

_Was this a bad idea? Am I making it worse? I’m probably annoying her, I should’ve just stayed at home and cried, FUCK._

“I just— I wanted to make sure you were doing okay after today. You really made sure I was okay and I completely neglected to— I mean— I’m supposed to be the champion and as— you know—“ Gloria was gesturing awkwardly to Bea, who seemed to be enjoying the show. Gloria huffed in frustration and looked down at her legs, feeling heat spread from her cheeks, to her ears, to the back of her neck.

“What I’m trying to say is...” she brought her gaze back to Bea, boring her eyes into hers determinedly, “I genuinely think you’re a fantastic trainer. If you _want_ , I can spend some time helping you— but I honestly don’t know if there’s anything I can teach you that you don’t already know.” Gloria scooted closer to Bea, grabbing her hand that was resting on her knee.   
  


“Bea, you kick _ass_ consistently every season, Rose was so out of line to talk to you like that. Your love and dedication to what we—“ Gloria squeezed her hand as Bea’s face softened more, “—what we do. It’s beyond _everyone_ else in the league right now. Me included.” 

Bea’s expression was complicated— Gloria was searching her face earnestly as she squeezed her hand. Bea sighed,

”Thanks Gloria... honestly, I don’t know why Rose’s comments even got to me...” she squeezed Gloria’s hand back, a blush spreading across her face. “I know he was just — I don’t know, being his typical self. I shouldn’t let the words of a rich has-been get under my skin like that...” 

Bea shifted to look at Gloria head-on. “Did you really come all this way just to check in on me?” Gloria glanced down at their hands, she could feel her palm get a little sweaty, a blush burning her cheeks once again.   
  


_What am I doing here, really..._

Bea looked down as well, suddenly realizing the heat radiating from Gloria’s hand. She let go awkwardly and stood up suddenly, catching Gloria by surprise.   
  


“Wait— y-yes but—“ Gloria stood up as well, reaching out for Bea once again, walking quietly and closely behind her “—I mean— that’s not _all_ I wanted to do— I just thought—“ Gloria was gathering up courage for a move she had yet to plan for.   
  


_What am I gonna do? What’s next? I don’t want to—_

Bea suddenly turned around. Gloria was much closer to her than she anticipated— their faces were centimeters away from each other.   
  


“ _Oh—“_

Bea was redder than ever, tension was building in her core, Gloria touched the bridge of her nose curiously.

”You have freckles... cute...” Gloria murmured as she stroked a strand of hair that had blown into Bea’s face. She accidentally knocked the pencil loose from behind Bea’s ear.

The tiny wooden clatter sounded like a gun shot— finally snapping the two girls apart.   
  


-•-

_OH MY— SHES TOUCHING MY FACE AGAIN. RED ALERT— DO SOMETHING._

Bea’s internal monologue continued to scream at her until the pencil dropped. Gloria seemed to wake up from a daydream and immediately stepped backward— Bea’s hopes quietly broke in half.   
  


_SHOOT._

Bea saw that Gloria’s cheeks were flushed too— did she feel the same way she was feeling? Bea felt a rush of unexpected courage fill her veins as an idea popped into her head. Why did Gloria have to make all the moves?

Bea stepped confidently closer to Gloria, kicking aside the pencil. She lightly cupped her own hand to Gloria’s cheek, and feigning ignorance said,

”Whoa, Gloria... did you get sunburnt on your way over? You’re looking red...” 

The tension caused both girls to freeze...  
  


_Is Gloria going to take the bait?_


	11. Snapped

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MATURE CONTENT AHEAD—
> 
> Also— More Marnie content coming soon, next chapter!

_What AM I doing here...?_

Gloria’s eyes were locked on Bea’s lips, her fingertips reaching up to meet her hands that were resting on her cheeks lightly.   
  


_Is this... What I should be doing right now? Do I actually feel..._

“Bea...” 

Gloria’s head slowly got closer to her face, Bea’s intense gaze suddenly dropped to Gloria’s lips as well.

_I’m here to prove Marnie wrong.  
_

Gloria grabbed Bea’s hands, lacing her fingers with hers as she backed away ever so slightly. She gave Bea a pained look as she let in a sharp breath.

”Wait... just wait a second for me...” Gloria said sadly, her eyes scanning Bea’s confused face.

”Listen, Bea— I think you’re _great_. You’re funny, you’re responsible, you’re kind— which is why I want to make sure I’m not—“ Bea’s face looked crushed as Gloria searched the fissures of her mind to find the right words, “I’m not doing the right thing now. I promise— if you give me a chance— I’ll explain to you why if things go right.” Gloria backed away and let go of her hands, cringing at how cryptic she sounded. She was so embarrassed, she could feel her blush all the way to the top of her shoulders as she nervously played with her hair.

Bea started playing with her waistband again, eyes glued to the ground.   
  


Gloria wanted to take everything back and kiss her, see her laugh, make her smile. But she wasn’t here to do that. She was here to make sure Bea was alright and to set her schedule for training.   
  


_How can I make this right? Would telling her the truth make it right??_

Gloria’s chest was constrained by anxiety, she wringed her hands as words started to sputter out of her mouth.   
  


_“Bea.”_ Her tan face shot up, her slightly narrowed eyes met Gloria’s. “I’m just— you are _really_ hot to me. I want to make out SO bad. You drive me nuts when I’m around you. But I just recen—“ Gloria noticed Bea walking toward her determinedly; Gloria decided to continue, “—r-recently got ou—“ 

Bea’s lips were now on hers. Gloria’s eyes widened as Bea’s arms looped around her neck softly, one hand lacing her fingers through Gloria’s hair. It felt heavenly. Gloria melted into the kiss, placing her hands on her waist and pulling her closer. Bea’s lips were so soft and warm, and the cool spring breeze caressed the two of them as Gloria slid her tongue gently across Bea’s bottom lip. Gloria felt the tension between them break like a guitar string as Bea’s lips parted, letting Gloria’s tongue explore hers. A passionate hum from Gloria vibrated against Bea’s mouth as she deepened the kiss.   
  


The two finally broke away, looking at each other intensely. Bea’s hands had slid down to hold Gloria’s arms. Gloria’s hands slowly slid up Bea’s waist, her fingers sliding beneath her cropped tank top. Bea’s eyes shot back to the house, then back to Gloria.

”Don’t go _anywhere._ ”   
  


Bea pushed herself away and ran back inside. Gloria could hear rummaging and muffled hollers, she smiled to herself. Her smile quickly turned into a frown.   
  


_Uh oh. Wait this is the exact opposite of what I wa—_

Bea burst back outside running breathlessly to Gloria.   
  


“Uppsy Daisy!” Bea said with a coy smile. Gloria was suddenly in Bea’s arms as she carefully walked back inside. Gloria started blushing madly, looking at Bea with wide eyes once more. She placed her hand on her chest to stabilize herself, causing her heart to race even faster.   
  


Before she could process what was even happening, Bea had set her down at the top of the stairs, already reaching for Gloria’s hips. Gloria wrapped her arms around her and leaned in for another kiss, this one more passionate than before. The two clumsily backed into a wall, Gloria let out a small wine. She broke away and started kissing down Bea’s soft neck, her hands grabbing desperately at her body. Bea gave Gloria her first moan. Bea soon hoisted her up, Gloria wrapping her legs around her waist as her hands grabbed at her shoulders. Bea’s hands were firmly grabbing her ass as they walked into her bedroom.   
  


Gloria wobbled a bit in her arms as she lifted off her shirt. Perspiration made her skin glow in the setting sun as Bea set her gently down in the bed, pausing to take her own tank top off. Gloria’s legs were spread as Bea inched on top of her, the two slowly backing onto the bed to be more comfortable. Bea felt Gloria undo her headband as she leaned down to press her lips against Gloria’s neck hungrily, placing her hand at the small of Gloria’s arching back.   
  


“Fuck— Bea...” Gloria’s hands explored the rippling, toned muscles of Bea’s back as she tried to persuade her sports bra off. Bea stopped suddenly and cupped her hand to Gloria’s face, furrowing her brow in concern.

”Wh-what what’s wrong?” She said, eyes innocently scanning Gloria’s face as she rubbed her thumb across her blushing cheek.

Gloria was taken aback. Her eyebrows raised in surprise. She wasn’t used to being asked that. She gave Bea a gentle, reassuring smile as she reached her own hand to Bea’s face. She craned her neck up and planted a sweet, soft kiss on her lips as she reached her other hand up to her other cheek. A huge smile spread across Gloria’s face— Bea looked confused. Gloria gave Bea’s cheeks a quick pinch.  
  


”You are just the _cutest_ thing _ever_!” She exclaimed as she brought Bea down into her arms for a tight hug. She could feel Bea’s heart race against her chest.

Gloria frowned.

”I’m entirely not good enough for you, Bea...”

Bea shot back up, propping herself up above Gloria with one arm as her other hand stroked Gloria’s thigh. Her eyebrows raised in concern. Gloria saw the sunset’s light shine beautifully off of Bea’s shoulder, sparkling off of the beads of sweat.   
  


_I’m a terrible person._

”That’s not true!!” Bea said indignantly. “Gloria, I feel exactly the same way about you. I can’t tell you how long I’ve wanted to— I mean not that I was— you know creeping or anything—but I think I’ve always felt—“

_Oh god but she keeps getting cuter and cuter..._

_-•-_

_HOME RUN BEA. THE BASES WERE LOADED, YOU WERE ABOUT TO HIT A GRAND SLAM, NOW LOOK AT YOU._

Bea felt panic rise in her chest as her brain strung together the dumbest series of words she could possibly find. Here she was: girl of her dreams half naked below her, trying to tell her that she’s been wanting to be with her for 2 years. Gloria began to giggle as her thought trailed off into the void. Bea suddenly felt her body getting heaved to the side as she found herself now on her back, Gloria straddling her, putting her hands on her chest.   
  


“It’s okay Bea—“ Gloria leaned down and kissed her again, Bea’s heart was working double time “— I think I know... You’re just so sweet to me all the time—“ Gloria’s hands slid down Bea’s body, over her breasts, then down to her glowing abs, her heavy lidded eyes following the whole way down. “— I just don’t know how to process it is all...” 

_Okay so you’re not on top anymore, that’s cool, that’s alright. I think I’m gonna catch on fire. I think I AM on fire. She just felt me up big time, should I just— maybe if I—_

Bea’s hands crept up Gloria’s back as she sat up, her toned stomach flexing as she did so. Gloria raised an eyebrow as Bea’s caress sent a tingle up her spine. She closed her eyes as she felt her lips press against her chest.

” _You’re so soft Gloria...”_ Bea whispered as her mouth explored Gloria, planting kisses at the top of her breasts.

_Okay, this is working, now let’s see how this goes..._

The snap of her bra unclasping made Gloria’s eyes shoot open and her breath to catch. Bea helped Gloria shrug it off, tossing it to the floor as she cupped her hand softly to her exposed breast, kissing her way to one of Gloria’s nipples. Bea paused as she looked at Gloria’s blushing face, keeping eye contact as she gently closed her soft lips around her nipple. Gloria moaned, Bea could feel the sound waves vibrate beneath let lips.

_Oh my— wow. This is really happening. It’s happening._

A small pop came from Bea’s mouth as she broke away from lightly sucking on Gloria. She brought her other hand up to cup Gloria’s breasts but was distracted by some pink marks she hadn’t noticed before. She lightly traced over them with her fingertips.

_Whoa, what are these..._

Gloria could feel Bea stop and looked down to see her staring. Bea’s gaze met Gloria’s, her face longing with curiosity.

”Oh...”

-•-

_FUCK. It’s like Marnie left a fucking CURSE on me._

  
Gloria reached her hand to grab Bea’s— feeling her stomach drop.   
  


“Bea...” Gloria hung her head in shame as she shifted herself off from straddling Bea. She winced slightly— her core still burning and raging for her touch.   
  


“N-no wait— forget I did anything, come back!” Bea leaned forward and reached for Gloria.

”Unless you’re freaked out— then I totally get it, I mean— you’re half naked— _I’m_ missing some articles of clothing— which you know—“ 

Gloria could see Bea cringing with every word, she couldn’t help but muster a smile and a genuine giggle.

_She’s too good. She’s so innocent— I can’t bring myself to do this... can I? Am I doing the same thing Marnie did to me...?_

Bea was madly gesturing between the two of them with her hands.

  
”We might have rushed things, but I _totally_ respect if— I’m saying that— I mean you look good!?”

”Bea!” Gloria exclaimed through stifled giggles, she put a finger on Bea’s soft lips. Be looked down at her finger, crossing her eyes a bit as she sighed. “Haha, do you normally talk this much during sex?” Bea groaned behind Gloria’s finger and blushed, closing her eyes defeatedly.

”You don’t have to worry so much! You’re like— basically a dreamboat!” Gloria laughed and gave Bea another hug, breaking away to sit down next to her on the bed. The frame gave a little squeak. Bea flinched at the sound, holding her head in her hands.

”Gloria... oh my... I’m so sorry, I went too fast didn’t I? I just wanted to—“ she paused, looking Gloria earnestly in her eyes, “—make a move... I’ve been so into you for forever and...”

Bea glanced over at Gloria through her fingers. She looked like she didn’t know where to look, making Gloria suddenly realize that she was exposed.   
  


Before Gloria could react, Bea stood up and opened up her traditional wardrobe, pulling out an oversized jersey with her logo embroidered on it— the number ‘193’ was sprawled on the back with Bea’s neat signature. “Here...” She handed the jersey to Gloria gently, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead. “I want to make sure you’re comfortable...” 

Gloria gratefully took Bea’s offering, standing up and pulling the shirt over her head. She took a deep breath in through her nose as she stretched a little, smelling the fresh scent of fabric softener from the jersey.

_Alright... what next...._

_-•-_

_  
Okay— Mission failure, got to make sure this bridge isn’t burned for good..._

Bea saw Gloria herself hugging her arms and pacing back and forth. Bea crept closer to her, putting her hands softly on Gloria’s arms. She pulled her in gently as Gloria did the same. She noticed her hands squeeze at her biceps, running her thumb over the pronounced vein she had running up the middle of them.

”Ugh, you really _are_ so in shape Bea...” She said longingly, Bea’s heart rate was finally starting to wind down. 

“Well...” Bea said awkwardly, “I mean— I can talk to you about working out if you want...? Maybe we can cool things down a bit that way?” Gloria nodded silently, cracking another smile for Bea.

Bea pulled away from Gloria and walked to her closet, rummaging for a book she had planned on giving her tomorrow. She came back to see Gloria perusing through the picture frames on her dresser, pausing on one framed document in particular.   
  


“Got that from the day I ‘legally’ became Allie’s guardian,” she said with a proud smile. She had come up behind Gloria, placing her hand lazily on her hip as she beckoned her back to her bed. Gloria turned around and smiled sweetly, obliging her.   
  


“So is it just you two then?” Gloria asked, crawling to the middle of the bed, book in hand.

”Sure is...” she cautiously eyed Gloria as she sat down next to her, sticking one leg out and stretching. This conversation always came up with people, she carefully navigated it each time— guarding herself for whatever Gloria was going to say next.

_That’s probably why we stopped... she must not want to deal with any bagga—_

”Allister really loves you, he talked about you the whole way home, you know!”   
  


_Ope— that’s new._

Bea was caught off guard. “Really?” She smiled, feeling pride well up in her chest. Gloria laid her head on Bea’s lap, holding the book to her chest.   
  


“Really!” She said with a smile, “he basically thinks you’re a superhero... and with a body like that, I can totally see why...” Gloria said wryly, Bea blushed again, playing with Gloria’s hair.

”Okay there— let’s calm down before things get— uh—“ she paused, “out of hand? Again? Go ahead and open that book up.”   
  


Gloria gave her a small pout but obediently opened the book. Bea spent the next 20 or so minutes explaining how working out was going to go for the first few weeks, emphasizing certain exercises now and then. She craned her neck and squinted down at the book, straining to read. Gloria sat up suddenly, remembering her glasses.   
  


“Stay here—“ she whipped her head back once more to look at Bea, “ _Jelly Bean...”_ she said with a grin. Bea let out a sigh as she heard her feet go down the stairs.

_Okay. Things seem... less weird now... that’s good. I wonder if Allister is finished grabbing the groceries I sent him out for..._

Bea guiltily eyed the document on her dresser, feeling embarrassed that she kicked out her poor little brother over what turned out to be nothing.   
  


_Well, maybe not nothing... maybe I still have a chance, she’s still being affectionate with me... I just have to not be weird... I’m so doomed._

She heard the front door downstairs open up.   
  


-•- 

Allister grumbled to himself as he held the brown paper bag awkwardly, unlocking the door and trying to keep his balance. He came home to see Gloria wearing Bea’s favorite jersey, her hair looking... 

_Messy?_

He stared for a second before shrugging his shoulders and shuffling inside, heaving the bag up toward the island counter, standing up on his tip toes.   
  


“A-are you t-two finished t-talking?” Allister asked curiously. Gloria froze, not noticing him coming in. She had Bea’s glasses in her hand, her face looked beet red.

”Wh-whoops... heh... didn’t m-mean t’ scare ya’...” 

“You’re home! Whatcha uhh, whatcha got there Allister?” Gloria said awkwardly, walking towards him. Allister looked at her suspiciously.

_Is she hiding something?_

Allister stared her down, crossing his arms. He looked like he had a lot to say...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! You’re leaving such great insight! I didn’t ever think I people would wanna read in the first place— I hope you guys all stick with me as we try to figure out our feelings along with Gloria!


	12. Smol Update

RIP in peace— no Bea love today 😂😂😂 Love to see the feedback, Marnie comes back tomorrow! I hope you guys stick with me!


	13. The Wettest Proving Ground

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allister shows why he’s a 10-year-old gym leader. Also Nessa and Marnie have a visit, she may have some intel on the situation...

Gloria froze in place, instinctively folding her arms.

_Fuck— I should’ve put on a bra._

She felt the white hot glare of Allister’s violet eyes bore through her soul— she shifted uncomfortably as he crossed his arms too.

”Y-you know...” Allister said ominously, “Bea never lets anyone wear her jersey.”   
  


Gloria stopped breathing, his last sentence came with no pauses, not stutters, and a whole lot of sass. He took another step toward her.

”A-and I’ve seen p-plenty of people c-come and g-go from here...” Allister’s fist balled up beside him, hovering over a small holster that carried three deactivated pokeballs. “B-boys _and_ girls...” Allister un-flexed his fist, knuckles popping as his fingers touched a specific pokeball.

”’Ave y-you ever h-had a r-recurring nightmare G-Gloria?”   
  


Gloria stood frozen, she gulped loudly. She shook her head.

Allister climbed up on one of the taller seats at the bar of the kitchen, little legs kicking back and forth.

”W-well... if you e-ever hurt Bea...” he said, adjusting the straps of his mask, loosening it slightly.   
  


“I-I’ll make sure m-my face and team haunt you—“ he lifted his mask off, revealing a young, pale, angry face. “— An’ that this face is the one you’ll see torturing you every night.” His eyes seemed to have a purple flame propelling his gaze directly into Gloria’s heart. A poof of black smoke escaped a now-activated dusk ball in the palm of the small boy’s hand. Nothing came out. Gloria backed away slowly, looking down and fidgeting with her hands. By the time she looked up, gengar’s wild eyes were staring her down, inches away from her shuddering face.

  
Bea’s bright voice suddenly illuminated the room.

”Wow! Great, so nice! Isn’t he just _hilarious?_ ” Bea had come to Gloria’s rescue, grabbing Allister in a tight headlock. His face immediately turned red. “Just _so funny_. So charming. Hah! Raised him _good.”_ She dragged the struggling boy off the stool, ruffling his hair vigorously. “O-ow!! S-sis! O-okay!!” She let him go, giving him a death glare as he readjusted his shirt, walking away from the two girls.

”I uh— grabbed your glasses...” Gloria said dumbfounded, limply handing them over to Bea’s general direction. Bea gratefully accepted.

”Hey, you know what? Take a seat, I’ll be right back!” Bea feigned cheer as she ran up the stairs, skipping several steps at a time. Gloria flinched back into reality as she heard a door slam from upstairs.

-•-

”I-I’m not s-stupid Bea!” Allister cried, huffing as he sat on his bed.

”Y-your tank top is backwards, you don’t have your h-hair b-band, and sh-she’s wearing y-your j-jersey!” He crossed his arms indignantly as Bea sheepishly looked down, pulling the front of her tank top out and checking for a tag. She wriggled out of the straps and turned it around unceremoniously.

” _Allister._ Some things that I choose to do are—“ she paused as she fumbled for words, “my business. Grown-up business. Why did you have to go out and scare her like that?? You _know_ how I feel about her...” 

Bea huffed.   
  


_What am I gonna DO with him?? What a complete 180 twist?? What’s gotten into him?_

”She’s j-just like th-the rest Bea. I-I can see it in h-her eyes. I-I know s-so.” He shifted in bed as Bea came to sit down next to him. He breathed deep and closed his eyes hard. “I don’t wanna s-see you sad. It’s h-hard just you ‘n me I-I know... B-but it’s... not w-worth you g-getting s-sad again...”

Bea’s heart contorted in her chest painfully. Her gut twisted as she searched her brother’s sincere face.

”Allie...” she sighed, putting her hand gently on his back, “It’s not like that, I promise.” She hung her head, continuing. “Honestly? Nothing happened. Nothing happened because—“ she shifted uncomfortably, “Gloria stopped. She’s different...” Bea stood up and crouched in front of Allister, his eyes getting red around the edges. “I know I’m not the perfect sister. I know that. And I know I make mistakes now and then— but my one and only constant priority— STUCK at number one?” Bea lifted her younger brother’s chin optimistically to her gaze. “It’s you, Allie. I’ll wrap things up downstairs and we’ll go over the story problems— then I’ll take you out to the shrines to go ghost hunting.” Bea shuddered at the last part, but was willing to forsake herself for her brother’s hobbies. Allister gave Bea a tiny nod as she got up and walked back downstairs.

The two made awkward eye contact. Gloria was slipping her shoes on by the time she arrived.

-•-   
  


Marnie gritted her teeth as she breathed in the ocean air.

_Fuckin’ smells like fish ass and kelp ‘ere..._

She followed the commands of her phone’s directions till she arrived at an opulent, gated home. Marnie rolled her eyes as she pressed the button on the intercom. A staticky, preppy voice filtered through the grid of the speaker.

” _Ugh—_ _who_ is it.”   
  


“Calm yer fake tits, it’s me, I literally told you I’d be here.”   
  


_“Arceus._ Is bitch mode always on with you or is it like— an incurable disease that I should do a fund raiser for.”

The literal pearly gates hummed to an open, Marnie walked in with a deep scowl. She made sure to put out the cigarette she was smoking on one of the rhinestones that adorned the gate, flicking the smoldering butt into the lavish outdoor fountain in front of Nessa’s house.   
  


_Bitch._

Marnie heaved the golden knocker on the door till she heard footsteps behind it. The door opened to reveal a silk-clad, drop-dead gorgeous Nessa, skin radiating in the sunset light.

”So. What’s this ‘big thing’ you so needed to talk to me about?” Nessa said aloofly, pouring Champaign into orange juice in a crystal glass. She looked over at Marnie. “You little delinquent— you want some?”   
  


Marnie rolled her eyes. “I like my shit to be painful. And neat.” She threw her jacket over one of the plush chairs that adorned Nessa’s living room as she took a seat, letting out a deep huff.

Nessa shot her a judgy “ew” as she strutted over to Marnie, taking the seat directly opposite of her. “So out with it, what’s going on girl?” She took a healthy swig from her glass. Marnie picked at the metal spikes jutting out of the sleeve of her jacket.

”It’s Gloria...” Nessa’s eyes immediately shot to Marnie’s making electric contact with her. A huge glutton for gossip, she leaned in, tightening the knot on her silk robe. “Oh?”

Marnie felt her eyes begin to sting as she took a deep, ragged breath in. “Don’t make a big deal out of this— but I think I might’ve messed up big time. I don’t know what to do and Piers is still gone and I’m really feeling—“ a shuddered breath escaped her lips as tears began to well up. Nessa’s gaze softened as she reached over the mahogany coffee table. “N-nessa, I’m feeling so stuck and sad...” a singular tear rolled halfway down Marnie’s fair face. Nessa put her free hand to her lips, expressing what Marnie tried to determine as genuine concern.

”Oh baby, come on over here and tell me exactly what happened... I’m just gonna listen, no games...” Nessa’s perfectly manicured hands waved ahead of her signaling she wasn’t going to pull anything. Marnie let herself be wrapped up in Nessa’s slightly bony embrace, smelling the rich fragrance of her expensive perfume. Marnie proceeded to spill her guts.

Nessa looked at Marnie incredulously. “Girl, I’m sorry but— _what the fuck?_ Gloria isn’t anything but a teeny tiny princess fairy— what did you _think_ was gonna happen?” Sass laced her voice as Marnie buried her head in her hands, small sobs and hiccups escaping between breaths.

Nessa stood up, looking at the girl with pity and sympathy. She put her hand firmly on Marnie’s shoulder, causing her to look up at her. “I-I knoooowwww— I-I fucked uuuuuhuhuhup” Marnie cried pathetically, Nessa rolled her eyes. 

“Marnie. Listen to me.” She gave her a hard pat on the shoulder. “Shit happens. You know shit like this happened with Sonia and I way back when?” Marnie looked up cautiously.

”R-really...?”

”Oh girl, of _course._ Did almost the same thing you did too,” she stood up, walking back to the kitchen, bringing the whole bottle of Champaign with her. “She wanted us to be official, I just signed a deal with a conservative sponsor and got cold feet, we fought, and I thought being a mega-bitch would make the breakup easier.” She took another swig from the bottle. “ _Ahhh..._ And news flash— it didn’t. We were broken up for _months_ while I figured out how to put my sorry ass in place.”   
  


“Wh-What exactly did you do to fix it?” Marnie asked, voice quivering less.

Nessa leaned forward and shot her gaze directly into Marnie’s soul.

”I grew a pair, admitted everything I did wrong, confessed my undying love for her and...” she swirled the bottle around briefly “... spent the next three months proving to her that I was the one for her and no one else. I pulled out all the stops. Even gave her a shiny yamper! When it comes the the one you love— my philosophy is that ‘one should never be above groveling...’” 

Marnie looked dumbfounded.

_By Nessa’s hammered-ass math, my timeline is looking— what? 8 months??? FUCK._

Marnie heard footsteps coming down the stairs, a freshly showered Sonia gracefully descending its marble steps. She made eye contact with the tear-stained Marnie and immediately furrowed her brow, rushing toward the two.   
  


“Marnie?? Baby are you okay??” She flicked her wet red hair to the side as she crouched next to an increasingly tipsy Nessa. She sniffed near Nessa’s face. “And _you?_ Getting hammered while giving what— comfort— advice? What am I going to do with you.” She scolded through clenched teeth. Nessa put her hands up in defense as Marnie re-told her lovelife’s woes. Sonia studiously tapped her chin, searching her brain on advice to Marnie.   
  


“Marnie...” she said softly, completely juxtaposing Nessa’s harsh truth-bombs, “... Nessie and I have had our rough patches... the thing that keeps bringing us together over all these years is trust. There was a time when I thought we wouldn’t make it through, but Nessa...” she touched her shoulder gingerly, “she understood and let me take my time to heal. From then on, she’s never let me down since, being brave in the face of adversity, taking blows from the press like a champ. All for me. Because she trusts me too...” Sonia reached for Marnie’s hand. “Maybe... you didn’t trust Gloria with your guy’s secret because you were scared. Now— she’s gone and lost trust in you too. Saying you don’t love someone doesn’t sit lightly in the heart... I would know...” Nessa hung her head in shame as Marnie nodded.

_That’s the sort of advice that comes from the biggest brain in Galar since Magnolia I guess..._

Marnie broke character and reached out to hug Sonia, who returned her embrace warmly.

”We know how tough it is out there... we’re rooting for you two.” She said softly in Marnie’s ear. Marnie just hugged her tighter.   
  


“Hey, hate to interrupt the love sesh here—“ Nessa said, her speech connecting with a slight slur, “but damned if my drunk eyes deceive me— is that _Gloria_??” Nessa held out her phone to Marnie and Sonia, who pulled down her glasses to focus on the slightly grainy image. Lo and behold, there she was in the bright afternoon sun— a tabloid title sprawled across the screen. 

“TWO POWERHOUSE LADIES READY TO MAKE A POWER COUPLE?”   
  


The picture showed Gloria holding Bea’s hand in the bustling streets of Stow-on-Side, the two grinning brightly at each other.   
  


“Huh... have you ever seen Bea smile...?”   
  


Sonia stared daggers back at Nessa who raised her eyebrows sheepishly.   
  


“No.” Marnie said through clenched teeth, eyebrows narrowing.   
  


“Well, I think Gloria has a type— stoic angry women...” Nessa said entirely unhelpfully. Sonia slapped her arm fiercely. 

“SHHH.”   
  


Marnie stood up without a word.

”Hey. Thank you two so much. For everything. I have a situation I need to sort out...” she flung her jacket over her shoulder and stride towards the door, Sonia and Nessa were speechless.

_I may not be able to show Gloria I’m the one for her right now. But I sure as HELL can show her who’s NOT for her.  
_

  
Her angry breath felt toxic as she stormed out of the mansion.   
  


Sonia and Nessa looked at each other, saying in unison.   
  


“Not good.”

-•-

Gloria made awkward eye contact with Bea, freezing in her steps.

”Uhhhh...” she said awkwardly. “Can your brother... read minds...?”   
  


_And there you go Gloria! Top ten dumbest things ever said by humans: you made the list!_

_“_ Mmmm—“ Bea mused sarcastically, “No. not yet at least, li’l weirdo...” she walked over to her freezer, pulling out a quart of ice cream. She opened a drawer with a steely clatter, pulling out a shining spoon. “I DO think I need to strengthen the parental controls on all his devices...” she gave Gloria a wry side-eye, “kid knows too much for a ten-year-old.”   
  


Bea sauntered over to Gloria, making her nervous. Her palms began to sweat.

_Oh my fuck. I need to put a stop to this before Allister haunts my dreams forever and murders me in my sleep. I need to be strong a—_

Bea offered Gloria a spoonful of ice cream, looking into her eyes dreamily . Gloria caved, wrapping her lips around the spoon as Bea watched. Bea gave her a small smile.   
  


“Listen, I know today was—“ Bea took a very characteristic pause, “kinda weiiiiird— but we both still have a job to do. With each other.” She reached her hand out to rub Gloria’s shoulder. “We’ll meet up tomorrow morning for our first session? 7:00 am?” 

Gloria melted weakly at Bea’s soft touch. She nodded as she got ready to go. She suddenly felt a pang of guilt rise up inside her.   
  


_I need to tell her. She deserves to know._

”Bea?” Gloria asked in a small voice.

”Yeah?” She said, dipping the spoon back into the ice cream. Bea moved closer.

”I just wanted to—“ Gloria panicked, her thoughts crumbling dumbly in her brain as she tried to finish her sentence. Her body decided to make the move for her.

Gloria planted a vanilla-laced kiss on Bea’s lips, horrifying her inner monologue. Bea hummed in delight as their lips parted from each other, smacking quietly.   
  


Bea smiled, “duly noted,” shooting her a coy smile, “see you tomorrow Gloria.”   
  


With that, the door closed behind Gloria, her figure suddenly facing the imposing trees of the trail that led back to town.   
  


_I’m so fucked._


	14. Have You Ever Seen A 3 Car Pileup?

Gloria just stood there for a moment. Cheep’s ball weighing heavily in her hand. She looked to the sky for inspiration but found none.   
  


_Why am I being such a pussy about this? It’s a simple conversation to have. Just fucking DO it._

She raised her shoulders and turned back to knock, but stopped midway, backing away from the lit porch. She sighed in defeat and released Cheep, who let out a triumphant scream as Gloria clamored onto him.   
  


“Take me home, bud...” 

Cheep’s wings beat down against the air, starlight beginning to shine off the metal of his wings.

Tiny particles of dirt and sand plinked off of the windows of Bea’s house.

-•-

Gloria and Cheep landed in front of the hotel in a glorious flourish, her hair whipping in the night time wind. Not even bothering to climb off, she recalled Cheep to his ball and fell to the ground, sticking the landing. She gave the receptionist a depressed “hullo...” as she slunk her way upstairs. She was marginally pleased to see that the package full of clothes she ordered from her Wyndon apartment was set neatly in front of her door. Scooping it up, she unlocked the door, gently placed Cheep’s ball in her bag, placed her package on the dresser, and fell into bed stomach first. 

She didn’t bother turning on the light. She looked down at her phone to check her notifications and was pleasantly surprised to see a text from Bea. She went into her contacts and edited her name, adding an endearing emoji.

Bea🍦: Hey, hope you got home safe! See you tomorrow ❤️  
  


She flopped on her back, bringing the phone to her heart as she sighed.   
  


_Bea is WAY too good for me. I don’t deserve someo—_

Her phone buzzed in her hand, startling her mid-thought. She peered down to see what it was.

😈Marnie: We need to talk.   
  


_That’s what I get for complaining..._

Gloria was in the middle of typing a short response when another bubble popped up beneath the first.

😈Marnie: I’m on my way to Stow-on-Side. Where are you staying?

Gloria didn’t have it in her to argue or make any efforts toward this conversation. She lazily sent a ping and shared her location, tossing her phone to the side as thoughts raced through her head.

_Thankfully I didn’t sleep with Bea... not that it should matter to Marnie— we were ‘never a thing’ according to her... still... I don’t feel good about this. Any of this. I don’t like hurting people..._

She rolled off the side of her bed, scuffing her feet against the carpet as she went to grab her toothbrush. She tiredly ran her fingers through her hair as she stuck the toothbrush in her mouth, making eye contact with herself in the mirror. She scanned the white and orange jersey, running her thumb over the soft material. She saw Bea’s bomber jacket on the counter to the left of her and started to brush her teeth hard, closing her eyes and pretending to be elsewhere.

Swishing water in her mouth, she snapped out of her daze, staring herself down into the mirror. She spat the water out and pointed a finger at her reflection.

”Do NOT fuck this up Gloria. You’re gonna be nice to Marnie for coming all this way, you’re gonna tell Bea about her tomorrow morning, and you’re gonna face your problems like a WOMAN.” She gave herself an indignant nod.

”Strength starts with taking this off and giving them back.” She pulled at the hem of the jersey, looking down at her feet.   
  


Deciding to hit two rookidee with one stone, she started to get ready for bed, turning the handle of the shower to let a strong stream of steamy water out. The droplets of water hammered against the tile as she undressed.   
  


_Oops, forgot my bra at Bea’s..._

Gloria took one last look at the faded marks on her breast and decided they meant nothing.

-•-

Marnie’s phone pinged with Gloria’s custom tone. She winced as her bright screen illuminated the dark interior of the flying taxi. She shifted uncomfortably as she sent the directions to the driver, who slapped the roof of the taxi in acknowledgment.   
  


Fury was brewing in Marnie’s chest as she read through the tabloid article, clicking on the various pictures of the two girls together.

_Is she doing this just to hurt me? What does Bea have that I don’t? How did this happen so fast?_

Marnie put her phone down and sighed, closing her eyes.

_Maybe it’s honestly nothing. Gloria’s an affectionate person to everyone. I don’t see any pictures of her and Bea kissing here..._

She hankered for a cigarette but pushed the craving down, knowing that Gloria hated the habit. She didn’t want the smell to linger on her if things went well tonight...

Marnie kept checking her phone to see if Gloria sent anything else. Her reply was uncharacteristically short and lacking the usual barrage of emojis.   
  


The Galarian wilderness blurred past her electric eyes as civilization glowed far in the distance. Marnie fiddled with a spike on her jacket, her breath fogging up the window.

_I’m gonna fix this, if it’s the last thing I do..._

  
-•-

The handle of the shower squeaked as Gloria stepped out into a room full of steam, refreshed from today’s antics. She wrapped a fluffy towel around her body and another one around her head— her hair was dripping profusely on the tile. Escaping the steamy bathroom, she picked up the remote on her nightstand and turned on the tv for some white noise. The cheesy synthesizer-heavy jingle of a gossip news channel filled the room.   
  


News about Raihan sputtered out of the speakers as Gloria cut the tape on the box of clothes with her room key. Upon opening the box, a worn and oversized team yell shirt was sitting at the top of it. She considered putting it on— but decided against it.

_If I give Marnie an inch, she’ll go a mile..._

She dug through the box some more till she found an xl, plain tee with a faded scorbunny pattern screen-printed at the front. She smiled as she put it on. She also found a pair of comfortable underwear to slip on, she wasn’t going to make any real effort to look good for Marnie if she came tonight. She took a look at herself, and upon seeing that the shirt came down to her mid thigh, shrugged with half assed satisfaction. She just wanted the saga to be over with. Her ear perked when she heard her name on the tv.

” _That’s right Joan, Galarian champion Gloria Tate was seen today with Stow-on-Side’s very own Gym Leader: Bea. The two were photographed hand-in-hand as they made their way to the stadium. Did we catch the first moments of a fledgling romance between two of the most powerful women in our region?”  
  
_

Gloria’s jaw dropped as pictures of the two flashed on the screen, catching them at various moments throughout the day. A photo of Gloria wiping whipped cream off of Bea’s lips with her thumb lingered on the screen as the two anchors gossiped stupidly about their romance. Gloria finally noticed how red Bea’s face could get when she was around, which didn’t surprise her.

What _did_ surprise her was the blush on her own face, and her eyes locked longingly on Bea’s lips. She buried her head in her hands, her damp hair falling around her.

Gloria suddenly understood why her and Marnie needed to talk.

-•-

“... And that’s why we end up with 28 Oran berries— it’s because we carry the two, see?” Bea said to a heavy-lidded Allister. He nodded sleepily and put his head down on the table as Bea grabbed his backpack.

”C-can we rain check e-explorin’...?” Allister asked, his voice muffled by his arm.

Bea patted his head and nodded, “Sure bud, go on upstairs and get ready for bed, I’ll be up there in a minute to say goodnight.” She gave his back a hearty rub as she walked over to the laundry room. Bea’s house had a perfect system of order that ran like clockwork. Clothes would cycle through the laundry room daily, Allister knew exactly which hamper to put his colors, his darks, and his whites in, as did Bea. She took comfort in order and routine, smiling to herself as she loaded up the washer with a batch of whites.

She closed the lid and turned the knob of the washer, watching it as it powered up and began to shake back and forth. She picked up a stray sock and flung it into its respective hamper as she walked back into the living room, turning on the tv as she tidied up the pillows and the knitted throw. She crisply folded the throw and slung it back over the couch as the tv chattered on in the background. She touched her lips unconsciously.

_Minus the string of horrible events leading up to us not having sex— I think today went sort of well! She gave me a kiss goodbye... did I play it cool? Or was I weird._

_I was definitely weird._

Bea sighed as she turned around to catch a glimpse of what was on tv and lost her breath when she saw her and Gloria plastered on the screen. She turned up the volume as the gossip journalist gave her viewers wild conjecture on her and Gloria’s relationship. Suddenly, a picture lingered on the screen. It was of Gloria swiping some whipped cream off of her lip from their breakfast pastries from earlier. Bea paused the tv and got close to the screen, mild panic setting in the pit of her stomach. Upon closer inspection, Bea noticed something she hadn’t before.

Gloria was blushing too.   
  


Turning the tv off, Bea set on her way upstairs, a smile stretched across her face. She crept into Allister’s already dark room and whispered a sweet goodnight. She quietly walked back to her room, greeted by messy sheets. She frowned as she began pulling the corners of the sheets firmly, fluffing the pillows. Her eyes were drawn to the ground, she saw Gloria’s shirt and bra from earlier. Glancing around the room for anything else, Bea’s eyes then turned to her hands.

_I should give these back..._

Allister never stirred as the front door of their house closed, the sound of the lock quietly rebounding in their pristine living room.

-•-

Marnie awoke with a bang as her head kicked against the window of the taxi.

“FUCK.”   
  


She refrained from the urge to rub her eyes, not wanting to fuck up her mascara. She opened the door of the taxi, greeted by the heavy, dry air of Stow-on-Side. Grimacing, she tossed a wad of cash to the taxi pilot and walked toward the door of the hotel. 

Her heels left holes in the stand stone.

After giving the receptionist a quick nod and a rude grunt, she started to climb up the stairs. Her shoes clattering and echoing within the stairwell. She finally approached Gloria’s room.   
  


_You’ve got this. Remember what Nessa said. Being a mega bitch won’t work._

Her knuckles made contact with the door loudly. She could hear the sound of metal sliding on metal and the jingle of a chain. Suddenly to door opened up to a freshly showered Gloria. She looked just as beautiful as ever. Marnie suddenly remembered to breathe.

”Hey Gloria... missed you...” she muttered sheepishly as Gloria rolled her eyes and opened the door wider for her to come in. Gloria sat on the bed aloofly, her long shirt bunching up slightly at her waist. Marnie peeled her eyes off her legs with Herculean effort and approached her bravely.

”Marnie... what’re you doing here?” Gloria said with an exasperated sigh. Her sad eyes tugged at Marnie’s heart.

”Gloria. I just miss you. I miss you! Okay? I admit it. I—“ Marnie did her best to control the tone of her voice, “I fucked up big time. What I said wasn’t true at all...” she sat next to Gloria, she seemed to be spacing out as Marnie fumbled with her words. She decided to be brave and reach for her hand. “Gloria... look at me...” Gloria looked at her with a deadpan expression. Marnie squeezed her limp hand.

”I never should’ve said what I said. I think— I mean, I know— I...” Marnie hesitated as Gloria’s brows began to perk, waiting for her to finish her thought. The words sputtered from Marnie’s consciousness.   
  


“Youuuu...” Gloria said impatiently. Marnie hung her head in frustration.

”Okay... so you came here... to once again show me that you’re still embarrassed of me. Cool.” Gloria got up and walked to the door.   
  


“Fuck Gloria, can’t you just give me a fucking break? I’m trying here. I really—“ Marnie stumbled on her words again as she got up to reach for Gloria once again.

_Come on, come onnnnnn— say it fuckface, tell her how you FEEL._

”I couldn’t have been more wrong about anything in my life Gloria.”   
  


_Yes! There’s that confidence. Time to sprinkle some of that bad girl charm..._

”I don’t think about anything else, or anyone else. I only think about you, Gloria...” Marnie approached Gloria, who’s expression seemed to soften.   
  


“I want you back, baby...” she got dangerously close to Gloria tilting her head as she looked deep into her eyes. She put her fingers to her chin, angling her face to meet hers. Their lips were about to touch.

”Say it then. Say the words. Also—“ Gloria craned her neck forward, sniffing the lapels of Marnie’s jacket, “—have you been smoking??”   
  


Marnie rolled her eyes and let out a harsh, exasperated sigh.   
  


“You’re really gonna break my fuckin balls over that?” Marnie could feel the tone of her voice get harsher. “Gloria! Come on! We were so fucking close— can we just put this behind us? I said I fucked up, geez!”

_Shit I should shut up._

Gloria’s eyes narrowed furiously. “Oh my GOSH Marnie, you little—“ Gloria’s lips pursed tightly. “— you little vile temptress. You thought you could just kiss your way out of this?? Do you know what you even did to me?!” Gloria crossed her arms and stamped her bare foot against the ground, shaking the lamp on the nearby table.

Marnie’s eyes narrowed back. “Of course! Duh! That’s why I’m here but you’re too much of a self-absorbed hard ass to even recognize the effort I’m trynna put in here— does everything have to be your way?? I fucking apologized.” Her voice was rising as she walked toward Gloria’s indignant figure.

Gloria huffed. “Of course this is how it is. Marnie, this isn’t an apology. It’s you trying to get back into my bed by beating around the bush. Does it need to be spelled out for you? YOU BROKE MY FUCKING HEART.” She balled her fists by her side, her ears began to turn red. Her eyes began to mist. She grabbed Marnie by the shoulders, she shifted nervously and averted her gaze.

”God Marnie. Look at me! Just fucking look! You told me, to my face, this one—“ she let go and gestured to her face as tears started to fall, “— that you didn’t love me. That all I was to you—“ Gloria sniffed hard and blinked away more tears, “—a-all I was to you, w-was a good fuck.”   
  


Marnie’s eyes began to turn red, Gloria let go of her shoulders harshly and held her face in her hands. Marnie tried to reach out for her.

”Gloria! I’m here aren’t I?! I’m trying and I’m giving you my best right now...” Gloria backed away from Marnie’s touch.   
  


“Gloria please! You KNOW you’re so much more to me than that—“   
  


“THEN TELL ME. You STILL haven’t told me!! Why are you so FUCKING sc—“ Gloria and Marnie paused, a timid knock bounced off the door. The two looked at each other, Gloria feverishly wiped her face and ran to the bathroom.   
  


“Gimme a sec!” She said, feigning her usual bright voice.

Marnie heard her blow her nose as she threw her palm to her forehead.   
  


_There she goes again, letting some rando interrupt. FUCK!_

Gloria timidly approached the door and opened it a crack.

-•-

Bea was humming to herself as she walked up the stairs of Gloria’s hotel. She skipped several steps at a time, trying to make a mini workout of her little field trip. She wavered a bit, hearing yells echoing in the stairwell. Her brow furrowed as she hurried up the rest of the steps, sensing trouble.   
  


Walking down the hall, she could clearly hear the sound of two women arguing. She couldn’t make out the words but definitely heard a couple of “fucks” thrown around viscously. She crept cautiously to Gloria’s room, hearing the voices intensify as she approached.

_This sounds like trouble._

Bea softly tapped her knuckles against the door, ready for confrontation. 

She was taken aback when a puffy eyed Gloria opened the door, her eyes widening though the crack. 

“Gloria?? What’s wrong??” 

“Bea?? What’re you doing here??” 


	15. What Was it You Said About Unfucking?

Bea felt her heart sink seeing Gloria so sad.   
  


“I heard yelling and was on my way to drop— hey, are you not wearing pants?”

Gloria’s face flushed as she pulled down the hem of the large shirt. The door suddenly flew open, catching both Gloria and Bea by surprise. Bea quickly hid the bra and shirt behind her.

_Marnie?? Gloria’s crying, not wearing pants, wait a second..._

The synapsis in Bea’s brain were firing at breakneck speed. She narrowed her eyes at Marnie and backed away cautiously. Marnie’s eyes bore unwaveringly back at her as she she pursed her lips.

“Oh— well— h-hey Marnie...?” Bea said cautiously. The three of them stood silently as if they were in a standoff. “Just two gals hangin’ out— totally get it... uhh I actually have a—“ Bea was cut off.

”Whatcha got there, Bea? Something ya hiding from me?” Marnie stepped out the door frame imposingly toward Bea.

”Oh, nothing! Just leaving actually, left a load in the washer— totally forgot to chan—“ Marnie’s hand jutted out to grab Bea’s wrist, catching her by surprise. She yanked it from behind her back, revealing the folded shirt and bra tucked neatly in her hand. A cringe overtook Bea’s body as embarrassment and violation crept into her core.

_Nonononononononononono she’s going to kill me RIGHT NOW. This looks HORRIBLE._

”YOU SLEPT WITH HER?” Marnie cried out, her voice strained with pain. Gloria reached out to both girls, yanking them into the room by their collars.

The hallway of the hotel got dark and quiet.

-•-

_Bea you fucking perfectly polite IDIOT your timing couldn’t have been WORSE.  
_

  
Gloria shot daggers at the two girls now scowling at each other as Gloria slammed the door shut.

  
“FUCK Gloria. I fucking KNEW it. I saw it all over the fucking news— _YOU.”_ Marnie pointed her finger angrily over at Bea, shaking with rage. Bea cocked an eyebrow and looked unfazed.

”What? Want me to break that for you?”

_GOD FUCK THIS NIGHT I HAVE TO FIX THIS._

”Marnie. No. This is NOT what it looks like—“ 

“She’s right—“ 

Gloria glared right back at Bea, silencing her with her eyes.

”It’s not what it looks like. We didn’t sleep together.” Gloria paused, trying to think of a way out of this. Technically— she was telling the truth....

”Rose hired Bea to be my trainer to fit into _this,_ ” she said, yanking up her new uniform. “Bea and I met after our meeting today, I forgot those at her place. Why it even _matters_ to you is beyond me, seeing as _we aren’t dating._ ”

Marnie’s face was still red, but her expression was considerably humbled. Bea looked crestfallen.

”Now _you._ ” Gloria’s wrath was now getting directed to Bea. “You’re not breaking any fingers. Ever. You just—“ Gloria let out an exasperated sigh.

_This is such a mess. She doesn’t deserve this.  
_

“You just have some bad timing Bea. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” Her voice softening along with her gaze. She reached her hand out to Bea but she pulled away.

Bea mustered eye contact with Gloria, her kind eyes connecting with hers. Her tone of voice didn’t match her expression.

”Right.” Gloria flinched at Bea’s voice, the room got cold as her silvery blue eyes narrowed. “ _Duly. Noted.”_  
  


Bea’s hand turned the doorknob, and with the door shutting behind her, she was gone.

Gloria’s heart squeezed in her chest.

_Fuck._

-•-

_This isn’t happening. I know this isn’t happening._

Marnie’s jealousy was bubbling over, her lungs started to burn as she stormed to the balcony. She brought her pack of cigarettes out, tapping one out into her hand and bringing the lighter to her chin. She flicked the lighter and took a few deep drags in. She turned around to see Gloria rubbing her face. She looked up as smoke bellowed out of her mouth, curling in wisps around her face. Gloria started to walk over to her.

Marnie leaned against the rails.   
  


“Marnie... what am I going to do with you...” Gloria tenderly reached her hand out touch her, but she recoiled as well.

”Gloria. Don’t do this to me.” She let out a quivering puff past Gloria’s face and took another drag, the end of the cigarette illuminating the negative space between the two of them.

”Gimme that—“ Gloria grabbed the cigarette from between Marnie’s lips and put it out on the railing, tossing it over the edge. “— you know it’s bad for you. Why are you always doing things that are bad for you...?”

the two of them simultaneously sighed, Gloria waving away Marnie’s last plume of smoke.

”I dunno love... but I do know _one_ good choice I made...” 

_Whatever happened between her ‘n Bea happened. This is my chance. I can’t lose her._

Marnie reached for Gloria’s hand, this time grabbing it with full resolve.

”We’re both hurt now... I reckon we’re even... Gloria...” 

She brought Gloria’s hand to her lips, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand softly.

” _I love you._ ”

Gloria looked dumbfounded, tears welled up again in her eyes. Marnie pulled her into a tight embrace, stroking Gloria’s slightly damp hair.   
  


“I love you so much. I can’t stand this. I can’t be without you... you mean the _world_ to me and I went and fucked it all up. I’ll never stop being sorry for hurting you...” 

She broke away from their embrace, once again putting her fingers beneath Gloria’s chin. Gloria had tears falling unevenly from her eyes.   
  


“You don’t have to say anything right now... I just needed you to know that.”   
  


With that, Marnie pressed a chaste kiss against Gloria’s parted lips, Gloria didn’t fight back. They pulled away, Marnie wiped Gloria’s tears with her thumb, the stars reflecting off of her nail polish.   
  


“Marnie...” Gloria’s voice quivered. “I don’t even know what to say...

”Then just think on it, I can give you space. Really... I just want you to be happy...”

Marnie’s phone buzzed against the metal bow and stud on her pocket. The two broke away from each other as the light of her phone illuminated the two. Marnie’s brow furrowed as her thumb scrolled madly.

”Looks like Piers is comin’ back— I’ve gotta go back to Spikemuth to keep order...” she glanced tiredly up at Gloria who seemed lost in thought. “Hey,” she nudged her arm ,”take your time with you and I. Right now, I know I blew us back to square one... I’ll let you figure your side of things out—“ she caressed Gloria’s back “— just know that I’m here.”

Gloria nodded dreamily, quietly lost in thought. Marnie gave up on trying to get her attention past that, resisting the urge to look behind her. The door to Gloria’s room closed for the last time that night.

-•-

_I am SUCH an idiot. Of course Gloria didn’t want— UGH!_

Bea held her head in her hands as she walked home, reeling from the situation. So many emotions splashed simultaneously in her brain, _how am I ever going to figure this out? Did Gloria mean what she said to me today? Am I a rebound??? Wait—_

Bea stopped walking, making sure her thought got completed before continuing on.

_Before I kissed her today— she was trying to say something. Was she trying to tell me about her? Wait— is this my fault??? Gloria looked like she had been crying, I don’t think she wanted Marnie there... Ugh... Maybe I was too harsh on her tonight, she didn’t look like she knew what to do..._

Bea shook her head, as if it would shake the thoughts from her mind. It didn’t work. She opted to run the rest of the way home. 


	16. Let’s Get Physical

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ‘Twas a gymnast long ago for 8 years— this chapter is some service back to my “in-shape” days

Bea watched the clock tick. 4:30 am. She stood up, reaching for the ceiling as the vertebrae in her back aligned and popped. Leaning to the side, she reached for her left foot, popping her hip. She did the same for her right hip. She rolled her shoulders and cracked her neck. Part one of her morning routine was checked off. After brushing her teeth and washing her face with ice cold water, she turned her gaze to her wrinkled sheets.  
  


She proceeded to make her bed, meticulously folding and tucking the sheets crisply into the corners of her bed frame. She carefully placed her pillows back onto the bed, two white pillows on each side, one decorative pillow in the center of them. She took a step back, admiring her handiwork. She opened the doors of her wardrobe to reveal color coded sections of crisply pressed, folded, and hung clothes. Her hand hovered over one of ten identical black body suits that she usually wears. She paused.

_Hmmm... Gloria’s gonna be training with me today..._

She closed the wardrobe and walked over to her dresser, pulling two drawers out. She picked up a pair of orange spandex booty shorts from one and a matching orange and white sports bra from the other. She swiftly closed the two drawers and walked into her closet. She grabbed her official gym leader warmup sweats from one of her shelves as well as a crop top with the fighting type logo printed on it. She smiled.

_If there was ever a day to get her attention, today’s feels like the day..._

She gave herself a look in the mirror once she slipped into her gear.

_  
Assets are still intact Bea, nice... Gotta work on those traps later next week though..._

Reveling in the minutiae of her morning, she excitedly walked down the stairs, skipping steps as she scanned the living room for any misplaced objects. Satisfied with her quick scan, she placed the neatly folded articles of clothing on top of her tattered duffel bag, turning her attention to the kitchen. Her tea began to brew as she placed the warmups into their particular pocket as well as two protein bars, three bottles of water, two rolls of boxing tape, and the little terra cotta gengar that Allister gave her three years ago for good luck.

Plopping the duffel bag on the ground next to her, she took her place at the kitchen table with her tea, a pen, and a piece of paper.   
  


_Allister’s going to wake up without me today— need to make sure to remind him to train... and that I love him..._

Her little brother brought a smile to her face as she led the pen across the paper, her painfully neat handwriting showing her thoughts. She took one last sip of her tea before getting up, the sun now rising in the distance.

_Time to get my cardio in for today..._

Allister’s note sat up, folded into a crisp tent on their kitchen island.

-•-

Gloria’s alarm blared painfully loud as she rolled over, swatting her hand at the wrong nightstand. Begrudgingly opening her eyes, she let out a tired moan as she rolled in a cocoon of covers to the correct nightstand, violently grabbing for the ringing phone.

The clock read 6:30 am.

”Shhhhutup...” Gloria sleepily slid her thumb over the unlock button and the phone granted her sweet release from its digital scream.   
  


_Oooooookay... 30 minutes till game time Gloria... Cheep can get me there in 5... maybe..._

Gloria closed her eyes, her chest coming to an even rhythm as her breaths got deeper. Her second round of alarms shocked sleep out of her system.

  
She frantically threw the covers off of her and ripped off her big t-shirt, getting her head stuck in an ocean of cotton before finally wriggling free. She fished out a fresh sports bra and tee, but had a much harder time finding her shorts. Her eyes cautiously eyed her new uniform.

_NO WAY DUMBASS, YOU’RE NOT THAT DESPERATE, KEEP LOOKING._

She triumphantly pulled out a pair of shorts from the bottom of her clothes box, smiling proudly. She flew into the bathroom, hopping into her clothes as she brushed her teeth, losing her balance twice. She emerged from the ground, foam peeking out of the corner of her mouth. She spat unceremoniously into the sink and swished water around in her mouth, looking at her reflection.

_YIKES._

She grabbed a hair tie from her wrist and put her hair up into a cute little pony tail, trying her best to salvage her look the best she could. She looked down at her phone. 

6:50 am.   
  


_SHIT._

She burst from the bathroom and scooped up Cheep’s ball, running out to the balcony. His pokeball exploded open majestically and she jumped, landing gracefully on his back.   
  


“To the stadium, Cheep! Double time!”

Gloria landed in the nick of time, Bea was already waiting for her at the Gym’s entrance. Her foot was tapping impatiently.

”If you’re on time, you’re late, champion!” Bea called out to a sheepish Gloria. Gloria blushed as she looked Bea up and down, her tan skin exposed to the early morning sun, sweat twinkling in beams.

”Sorry! Let’s get this thing started!”

Bea cracked her knuckles and followed Gloria in.   
  


“Let’s.”   
  


-•-

“Come on Gloria, go, go, go!” Bea cried out from cupped hands. Gloria was running the last lap of her mile and definitely looked like she needed saving. Bea laughed quietly to herself as she clicked the button of her stopwatch. She ran down the bleachers to greet Gloria with some water.

”Listen champ, you think last night was painful? I’m just getting started here...” A grateful Gloria snatched the bottle of water from Bea’s hand and laid down on the ground, sweat dripping down her forehead and neck.   
  


“Bea *huff* nooooo...” her voice trailed off as her lips met the opening of the bottle. Loud gulps and a satisfied ‘ahhh’ soon followed.

_Look at her! She’s so adorable and tired, I feel like I could carry her around like a teddy bear!_

Gloria sat up and patted the ground next to her, making eye contact with Bea. Bea shifted before taking her seat next to her, sticking her leg out before her like she usually does.

”Listen Bea...” Gloria said, her breaths becoming more and more equal. “About last night...” Bea stretched her body down, flexing as her cheek touched just above her knee, her hair tickling her quads.

”Yep. That was weird. It’s been rough trying to stop myself from making rebound puns to you all morning...” Bea’s face turned to a frown, her cheek squishing her lips cutely as she sighed.   
  


Gloria’s demeanor changed. “Bea. You’re not a rebound. I really was going to tell you about Marnie and I. Honestly...” Gloria reached down and brushed the hair from Bea’s face gently, Bea blew another stray strand away as she made eye contact.

”We were ‘together’ here and there for like two years. She’s always been weird about us. We finally got into this huge fight and...” Gloria paused, feeling a lump in her throat, “... I didn’t hide this because I was trying to be— I don’t know — sneaky or anything... It just hurts to talk about.” Gloria turned her body to face Bea, her head perked up. “And being with you— it’s like— you just made me feel so much better about everything. Including myself...” 

Bea frowned, folding her leg back in and straightening up. She leaned forward and put her hand on Gloria’s.

_Euuhgh sweaty. Wait. Not the time. What did Marnie do to her... should I do something? Is this like, prime move time or does that make me terrible? She seems so vulnerable... should I back o—_

“Bea? Do I look that bad? Hellooo—“ Gloria waved her hand in front of Bea’s glazed over eyes. She blinked, snapping out of deep thought.   
  


“Sorry!” Bea took her hand off of Gloria’s and stood up, she seemed a little disappointed by that. “So sorry— I was just thinking about um,” _okay Bea, engage that noodle, say something smart._ “How last night— at my place— things make a lot more sense now. You tried to tell me, didn’t you?” Bea offered her hand to Gloria, hoisting her back up. Once she was on her feet, she ended up standing much closer to Bea than she anticipated. She did her best to stifle the heat radiating off her cheeks. Gloria held onto her hand and looked deep in her eyes.

”Yes. But you decided to sweep me off my feet before I could do anything about it...” Gloria’s eyes became heavy lidded as she eyed Bea’s lips intently.

_UM. But wait. Am I a rebound??? She said I wasn’t. But am I? Is it okay if she’s the one making all th—_

Gloria pressed a quick peck on Bea’s lips, parting with a ‘mwah’ as she wrapped her arms around Bea’s neck. Bea’s eyes stayed wide open.

_UH_

”UH.” _Wait. No. Bea, say something, anything! Don’t make it weird!!  
  
_

“S-salty. Heh...” 

_NOT THAT. WHAT. IS THERE ANYTHING IN HERE? IS THAT WHY THERES ALWAYS AN ECHO IN HERE?_

Gloria blushed and let go, giving Bea a nervous giggle as she stepped back. Bea’s hands shot to her waistband, nervously fiddling with the elastic.

“B-but like good salty! Should we—“ Bea pointed to the bench and free weight set she had adjacent to them, her cheeks glowing bright red.

Gloria smiled in relief and nodded, following her lead. Bea set up the bench press, grabbing the plates effortlessly as she brought them to Gloria. She placed them on the ground with a deep thud.   
  


“Hold that thought— I just want to make sure I can see what your bench max is before I forget, okay?”   
  


Gloria nodded. She laid on the bench and looked up at Bea, her eyes trailing up her body till she met her eyes. Bea felt nervous.

”Okie dokie. So this baby here,” she patted the rail that sat above Gloria, “is 45 pounds. We’ve got our tens,” she pulled up a small plate with no effort, “our twenties,” same routine, “and our Olympic forty five’s.” her arm gave a tiny heave as she waved the plate in front of Gloria. She proceeded to put two tens on either end of the bar. “Now I’ve got faith that we can warm you up with a few reps at 65, can you do that?”   
  


-•-

Gloria rolled her eyes and guffawed, “Duh, I’m not _that_ weak...” she nervously wrapped her hands around the bar and saw Bea’s hands settle right next to hers. She became distracted.

She suddenly felt pressure force the weight down at her neck.

_Uh oh._

Gloria’s face turned red as she heaved the bar away from her chest, letting out a small grunt.

_Ohhh I totally AM that weak, FUCK this thing feels heavy. One._

”Okayyyy, one! Little rough on the technique, but let’s go for two.” Bea said encouragingly. Gloria looked up to see Bea scanning her chest and abdomen, her brow furrowed in concentration.

_She looks really good from here... Wait. Focus Gloria, don’t look weak._

Gloria’s second rep went considerably better, her arms smoothly guiding the bar from her chest, back up to the opening of the holding rail.   
  


“Two. Looking good Gloria, gimme three more and we’ll check your max.” Bea’s eyes unglued themselves from Gloria’s form and flicked back to her eyes, pausing briefly.

”Sounds good, Jelly Bean...” Gloria said with a smirk.

_Hookay, I can do this three more times. What’s a max though? I can already feel my arms burning to death..._

The two girls counted together, Bea’s voice carrying brightly, Gloria’s getting lost through clenched teeth.

”...Aaaand five, okie dokie, sit up and stretch out those muscles for a bit.” Bea lifted the bar from Gloria’s hands with literally zero effort, placing the bar back onto its holster with a loud clang. Gloria turned away, stifling concern as she swung her arm across her body, bracing it with her free hand. She suddenly felt Bea sit down behind her, straddling the bench with her. She felt her chin rest on her shoulder.

Gloria’s face burned up. She stretched harder.   
  


“So what were you saying about me sweeping you off your feet...?” Bea said quietly, her voice containing genuine curiosity.

_Does she even try to flirt? Or is this just how she is? I’m so fucked._

Gloria let out a long sigh as she switched arms, leaning her head against Bea’s.

”I don’t know... I just had spent so much of my time with someone who never stopped to ask how I was feeling... Marnie would never check to see if I was okay with things, we would just always... She’s a very dominating person and I took that as her being protective...” Gloria paused and sighed, dropping her hands into her lap. “...but in all honesty, she was just trying to cover us up. She didn’t want anyone to know. She would never tell me she wanted me or that— you know— she...” Bea’s arms wrapped around Gloria’s waist, she felt her heart begin to pound harder. She reached one hand up to cup Bea’s cheek and rested her other on Bea’s hand that sat at the front of her stomach.

_This should feel so weird but she’s making me feel so safe... How is she so nice? She’s so mature and listening to the whole story... Marnie would’ve torn the place up by now..._

”I’m still listening...” Bea whispered softly. Gloria closed her eyes and felt herself melt. She took a deep breath in.

”...So when I came here after she told me that... that she didn’t see anything between us...” Gloria swallowed hard but muscled through. “Bea, you were just so sweet. You’re so genuine and cute and you’re so funny—“ Gloria put both of her hands on top of Bea’s arms, craning her neck as she turned to look at Bea. “—you’re actually very funny, you know that? Like, all of your photos show you beating the hell out of a punching bag or something, like scowling as you do a scissor kick, but you are so bright and wonderful to be around!” Gloria snuggled herself back into Bea, missing out on Bea’s sheepish blush. Bea tightened her embrace around Gloria.   
  


“I just spent two years following around someone who wouldn’t give me the time of day if it wasn’t convenient for her. I don’t want to do that anymore.” She wriggled from Bea’s embrace and stood up, leaning down and looking her in the eye.

”So... what _do_ you want to do?” Bea asked nervously, her thumbs and forefingers stretching the elastic of her waistband.

”I want to learn what a ‘max’ is on this thingy!” Gloria said brightly, leaving Bea both relieved, but a little disappointed.   
  


-•-

“Okay, and we’re done!” Bea said brightly, standing before Gloria’s crumpled and exhausted body. She raised an eyebrow and looked down. “Heyyy champion, you don’t look so good...” Gloria simply groaned and sprawled out on the turf of Bea’s stadium, flicking her thumb as she scrolled through her phone. She suddenly stopped, watching intently, her eyes glued to her phone.   
  


_Look at how cute she is. I think... I might actually have a shot at making this work if I don’t say or do anything dumb. Which..._

_I mean..._

_Shoot..._

_Well I’m still going to t—_

”BEA.” Gloria suddenly sat up, bringing Bea back to reality. She held the screen of her phone out to her.

”What’s up?”

”Bea. Look. Look look look.” Gloria stood up and waved her phone in front of Bea’s face as Bea leaned back and dodged.

”Okay okay, geez, what is it?”   
  


“Just watch the video!”   
  


Bea’s eyes struggled to focus as she grabbed the phone and held it comically close to her face.

”... nnggh don’t have my glasses...” she grumbled as she squinted. The video came into view. A popular Galarian athlete was doing a handstand and was struggling to remove their sweatpants. After about thirty seconds of shifting around on their hands, the pants finally dropped to the ground. Bea scoffed.

”Psh.”   
  


“Can you do that??” Gloria asked excitedly, grabbing onto Bea’s arm. She started to blush.   
  


“Wait what? Like take my pants off while I do a handstand? I mean, the need has never come up...” Bea eyed Gloria nervously as her eyes grew wide and excited, “... but I mean, how hard could it be?”   
  


“Do it, do it, do it!” Gloria chanted as Bea walked toward her duffel. She unzipped the pocket that held her warmups and hopped into the bottom half of them sheepishly, holding her hands up to calm Gloria down.

”Okay okay... here we go, uppsy daisy!” Bea confidently walked the rest of the way to Gloria on her hands, spreading her legs on occasion for balance. Her face began to turn red with effort.   
  


_Why am I doing this again...?_

Gloria leaned down and put her hands on her knees, giving Bea a bright smile.

_Oooo that’s why._

Bea made short work of the challenge, her warmups falling quickly to her side. She balanced herself on one hand and gave Gloria a little jazz hand with her free one.

”Ta-daaa, you happy?” She said as she cartwheeled back onto her feet. She felt the blood rush back down from her face as she shook off the dizziness.   
  


_That sucked, that was actually really hard. Ouchie._

Gloria came up to her and gave her a hug, “Bea! Oh my gosh. You’re so cool. One more thing!” She pulled away to look her in the eyes earnestly. Bea felt nervous again.

”Bea.” She said in a hushed tone, “can you do the move?”

”The move?”

”Yes. The move. Like you know—“ Gloria gestured to Bea, holding out her arms as she picked up an imaginary person. “The _move!_ ”

Bea tapped her chin and looked up to the ceiling of the gym, “Ohhhh, yeah. Probably? I mean, as long as the person I’m lifting has a good center of gravity and weighs less than like— 500 pounds. I guess?” She said the last part with an ignorant shrug. Bea saw a sparkle in Gloria’s eye.   
  


“Ohhh no. No not today, you need to rest.”

”Ohhh yes, yes today.” Gloria said, adjusting the strap of her sports bra.

”No way! Hold on hold on—“ Bea was trying to think of a way out, nervously backing away, Gloria was already backed up an ample distance to give her a good running start.   
  


“Bea come on! It’s like— my dream come true! It’s the _move!_ ”

She started to jog.

”Wait! Gloria! I’m supposed to keep you safe, oh no. Wait stop running. No no—“ Bea’s hands suddenly met Gloria’s firm waist as she hoisted her into the air. Gloria’s running start had exerted a fair amount of inertia on Bea as she stumbled backward, digging her left foot behind her. Bea’s eyes were clamped closed, she didn’t want to see disaster strike. Soon, the two of them were still, and Gloria let out cheerful laughter. Bea cautiously opened her eyes and looked up to see a gleeful Gloria,

happily giggling, propped up in Bea’s strong arms.

_She’s so beautiful..._

Bea let a smile brighten her face as she twirled Gloria, gently beginning to let her down. 

Gloria wrapped her legs around Bea’s waist, her arms rested on her shoulders. They made intense eye contact as Bea firmly held her thighs.

”Gotcha...” Bea muttered as she adjusted her grip on Gloria.

Silence filled the stadium as their lips connected again. It was only broken by Gloria’s words.

” _I think we need a shower.”_


	17. Steam and Stress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning! Naughty Content Ahead! For Mature Audiences Only!
> 
> Also PS, thanks so much for reading the fic! All of you are superstars and I hope you're having the best day ever!

Bea’s eyebrow cocked.

_This is it. This is the big moment (2.0)— time to be flirty back— you got this._

”Like... a regular shower separately or a... like a sex one...” Bea said dreamily, distracted by Gloria’s lips. She suddenly snapped back to reality, realizing what she said.

_HOLY SHIT. WHAT? WHAT??? DID I ACTUALLY SAY THAT??_

Bea physically cringed, her hands squeezing Gloria’s thighs as Gloria hugged Bea’s glowing head to her chest, letting out a hearty laugh. Her legs squeezed around Bea’s waist harder as she pulled away, planting a big, wet kiss on Bea’s embarrassed face, her hands squishing Bea’s cheeks as she started walking towards the home side locker room.

”Uuuugghhhh Gloria... I am SO dumb...” Bea mumbled as Gloria continued to laugh in her arms. Despite her embarrassment, Bea couldn’t help but smile up to Gloria as she wiped tears from her eyes.

”Bea, you are NOT dumb. Not in the slightest. You’re just the sweetest, cutest, hottest—“ Gloria brushed Bea’s bangs out of her face, “— _sexiest_ girl out there.” Bea’s face got even redder as she bumped the door to the locker room open with her butt, backing the two of them inside.

Gently setting her down, Gloria’s eyes widened as she marveled at the architecture of the locker room, customized to match Bea’s needs. The walls were adorned with a traditional mosaic of Stow-on-Side’s history, the ceramic glaze glittering in the light flooding in from the skylights. Bea grabbed her hand and led her to a door with a dim light filtering through its window.   
  


“Wow, Bea your locker room is so nice...” Gloria looked all around her, taking in each detail. Bea glanced behind her to reply, but instead just ended up staring.

_She is so cute... I need to not mess this up..._

”Yeah? You like it?” Bea asked as she pulled Gloria close to her, her hand turning the handle of the door behind her slowly. “Well you’re gonna be seeing this a lot with the schedule I put together for you...” she leaned in close to Gloria as she pushed the door open with her foot, brushing her nose against Gloria’s sweetly.

  
The two backed into what turned out to be a gigantic shower, complete with a large rain-style shower head, various bath products, vents for steam, as well as benches lining the walls. Gloria’s jaw dropped as she touched a fluffy towel hung up on the wall adjacent to her.

”Wow...”

She turned around to see Bea flicking off her crop top, standing before her in just her sports bra and spandex shorts, cluelessly inspecting her shirt. A fire lit in Gloria’s core as she strode towards her.

_Was this dirt stain on my shirt the whole time? It looks kinda fresh, I wonder if it’ll— THERE ARE HANDS ON MY BUTT—_

Bea jumped. “Whoa there—“ she whirled around to face Gloria who slid her hands around her waist, pulling her in. “G-Gloria...” Bea’s words were lost in Gloria's mouth as her lips locked with Bea’s. Bea let out an involuntary moan as she returned the kiss, Bea backing into the bench and buckling down into it. Gloria straddled her and ripped off her shirt, beads of sweat flying as Bea’s hands slid up her body, gliding to the clasp of her bra. Gloria brought her hands up to let her hair down as Bea tugged her bra off, biting her lip as she made eye contact with her deep auburn eyes.

_Sex shower it is..._

Gloria’s fingers hooked themselves beneath the elastic of Bea‘s sports bra, her heart pounded as she lifted her arms up to let Gloria take it off. Gloria’s eyes widened.

“ _BEA.”_ Her hands slid down her shoulders to her breasts, cupping them softly. A small giggle left her mouth as she made eye contact with Bea. “Your _tan lines!_ ” Bea’s eyes immediately shot down to the exposed top half of her body, instinctively trying to cover herself up. 

  
_I KNEW SPF WAS IMPORTANT. JUST BECAUSE I DONT BURN— NOW SHE THINKS I’M GROSS._

“No no— don’t try to hide—“ Gloria tilted Bea’s chin up to her, “—I love them! They’re very you!” She planted a sweet kiss on Bea’s forehead, then a more passionate one on Bea’s lips. Bea's body immediately started to relax as her curious hands traveled all over Gloria once again, this time, settling at her hips, her thumbs digging into the waistband of her shorts. She felt Gloria shift as she stood up, never breaking eye contact with her. 

Bea's blood roared through her veins as she saw Gloria pull down her shorts and panties in one fluid motion, her eyes dragging down Gloria's body. 

_Oh my gosh. I've never seen anyone more beautiful. I'm so nervous. I'm gonna mess this up. I can't even..._

"Like what you see?" Gloria whispered as she once again straddled Bea, undoing her head band and letting her hair fall naturally. Bea's hands trembled as her fingertips roamed new territory, her lips pressing against Gloria's collar bones as she hummed with satisfaction. Bea suddenly pulled her close as she leaned forward, standing up as she held Gloria's naked body in her arms. She held a certain satisfaction as Gloria let out a dreamy ' _whew!_ ' slipped out of her lips as she held on tight to her, feeling goosebumps form as they were now skin-to-skin, save Bea's shorts. 

_They'll be off soon._

Bea balanced Gloria cautiously as she deftly felt around for the shower handle, twisting it to activate the shower head. Gloria wobbled a bit in her arms, causing her to let out a small gasp, but Bea's hand shot back out, cradling the small of her back as Gloria's legs tightened once again around her waist. 

"I've got you..." Bea murmured, kissing Gloria's neck softly as her hands laced through her silvery hair. "I promise I've got you, I'm not letting go just yet..." A moan escaped Gloria's lips as she felt the electric suction of Bea's kisses glide down her neck and collar bones, stopping at the top of her breasts. Steam began to wisp around them like a blanket. She gently placed Gloria down and reached out to the gently falling stream of water to test it, pausing to strip out of her shorts. Gloria's eye's widened as she finally got a view of all of Bea's toned body, the ache in her core now throbbing for friction of any kind. She grabbed Bea's hand and pulled her into the warm, watery embrace of the shower's gentle stream. The two smiled as they held each other, letting the the water drop in rivulets down the curves of their bodies. Bea timidly dropped her hands from Gloria's hips, guiding one hand to firmly cup Gloria's ass, while the other slipped down between her legs. Her fingers traced Gloria's wet lips, lightly rubbing over them. Gloria shuddered in her arms and breathed raggedly, letting out a tiny whine. 

"Is this okay...?" Bea whispered gently as she continued to massage Gloria's pussy. Gloria's hands clutched Bea's shoulder's as she nodded, quivering at her touch. "Would it be okay if I..." Bea's middle finger suddenly slid down between her lips, causing them to part as she curled it upward, teasing Gloria's entrance. 

" _Bea, oh god..._ " Gloria moaned as she felt Bea's finger slide bravely inside of her. 

_Officially at the point of no return here... I just want to make her feel good..._

Bea slid her finger out of Gloria as she grabbed her hips, spinning her around to face away from her, taking Gloria by surprise. 

_Let's give this a shot..._

-•-

The water was beating against Gloria's back and ass as she was spun around to face away from Bea. 

_Whoa why did she stop? What's going on— OH FUCK_

Bea had pushed Gloria's top half of her body downward with one hand as her other slid her middle finger inside of her again, fucking her firmly from behind. Gloria let out a moan fit for a pornstar as Bea's fingers stretched her pussy, water cascading off of the two of them. She braced her hands against the wall in front of her wriggling her ass to be closer to Bea as she continued, now sliding her free hand down her body and in between her spread legs. She felt like she was going to faint when she felt Bea's fingertips tease her clit from the front as her finger rammed her from behind.

"Is this good, Gloria?" Bea whispered as Gloria's body shuddered, moans echoing off of the tile. "Do you like the way I fill you up and touch you...? Do you want more?" Gloria whined Bea's name, nodding for more.

_Oh my GOD who knew Bea had this in her?? She's gonna make me cum if she _—__

__"Bea! Oh my FUCK!"_ _

Gloria's back arched as she felt Bea slide in a second finger, finding her G spot as Gloria bit hard on her knuckle, stifling a passionate yelp. Bea's pace quickened as the water droplets continued to reverberate against the floor. Bea held Gloria close as she felt her walls clamp around her fingers and spasm in pleasure, Gloria's cries climaxing as Bea gave one final ram, fucking her over the edge. Gloria quivered against the wall. She gently pulled her fingers out of her as Gloria turned back around to face Bea, sliding down the wall weakly and landing on her butt on the cool terra cotta tile. Her legs quivered as Bea rushed down and cupped her face, concern and panic in her eyes.

  
"Gloria! Hey _— hey_... Are you okay?? Was it too much? Should I get you _—"_

Bea was cut off by Gloria's foot meeting Bea's chest, pushing her back as she fell to her elbows. 

_Now let's see how she takes it..._

Gloria crawled on top of Bea seductively, water splashing next to them as her heavy lidded gaze locked with Bea's.

_"My turn._ "

Bea gulped nervously as Gloria's body dripped on top of hers, the droplets and the cold tile making her shiver. Gloria engulfed her in a passionate kiss, her tongue sliding slowly and softly over Bea's as she hummed in delight.

_I need to make sure I'm gentle... I don't want to scare her... She's so soft..._

Bea's hands looped around Gloria's neck as she leaned to the side, propping herself up with one hand as the other slid between Bea's legs. "Now _I've_ got you..." Gloria whispered as she felt Bea twitch at her touch. "I'll be careful..." She murmured as she massaged between Bea's lips, feeling her wetness at her fingertips. Gloria craned her neck back and admired Bea's trembling body beneath her, soft moans escaping her parted lips as she touched her. She leaned back down and nibbled lightly on Bea's neck as she slowly slid her own digits inside of her, curling her finger upward as she felt her tight walls clamp down around her. 

_"Uhhnh— Gloria..."_ Bea's moans fueled Gloria's passion for her as she pushed her finger deeper inside.

"Oh fuck... Bea, your pussy is so tight..." Gloria fucked Bea in long, gentle strokes, Bea tangling her fingers in her short, wet hair. Gloria felt herself getting drunk off of Bea's moans as she lowered her gaze, locking on her breasts. She kissed her way down as she picked up the pace, feeling Bea's hips buck against her for more. She let out a delicious whimper as Gloria brought her hungry mouth to her nipple, flicking her tongue against it as the rhythm of Gloria's strokes became faster. 

_"Gloria— I can't—_ " Gloria felt Bea's grip in her hair tighten as she switched to sucking, " _you're gonna make me—_ " her breaths became ragged as her back began to arch. Gloria gave a small groan as she felt Bea orgasm in her arms, the thundering drops of water pattering against the floor as if in applause for the two of them. Gloria pulled her finger out and collapsed on Bea, who's arms wrapped lazily around her. She let out a trembling sigh.

" _Wow..._ "

Gloria felt a smile plaster on her face. 

_Still got it! I think she liked it!_

Gloria propped herself up once again to hover over Bea. A single droplet of water fell from her nose and landed on Bea's. Bea cupped Gloria's face in her hand and craned her neck up to her, pressing a passionate kiss to her lips. 

Gloria closed her eyes and felt safe.


	18. Tabloid Troubles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That last chapter, whew! Thank you all so much for your ongoing support and comments, it's amazing to see you guys break down scenes and characters and root for your favs! Now back to business!

The world looked a little rosier to Bea as she walked out of the shower, Gloria walking close behind her. She suddenly felt her face engulfed from behind by a fluffy towel, followed by a playful ruffle. 

"Hey now..." Bea said as she pulled the towel from her head, dodging Gloria as she cheekily tugged at the corner of her towel, "Whoa— easy there!" A blush bloomed brightly on her cheeks as Gloria giggled, her eyes shining in the light, the dewy drops of water on her shoulders twinkling as well.

_I'm dreaming... I can't believe that happened..._

"I can't help myself, you just look so _good!_ " Gloria exclaimed as she continued to grab at Bea who was now giggling with her. Gloria's face perked up and connected with her gaze, lips parting as she let out a little gasp. "Oh my gosh, and your laugh is so _cute—"_ Bea succumbed to Gloria's grabby hands as she got pulled into a tight hug. "—I'm gonna squish you, you're so _perfect..._ " 

_Perfect... No I'm not..._

Bea's arms wrapped around Gloria as she snuggled into the crook of her neck, planting a big kiss against her soft skin. Bea's eyes closed, her fingers brushing Gloria's cold, wet hair to the side as she squished her cheek sweetly against her, a sigh leaving her lips. Gloria's voice was muffled by Bea's shoulder, "you keep being so sweet to me, we're gonna need to take another shower—" she pulled away, "—'cause I have no problem getting dirty again..." she said with a wry smile. Bea turned her gaze away, feeling flustered, the blood pumped to her head harder as her pulse quickened. 

_She's still in just a towel... I could do this all day... I should take her back to my place—_

_Wait, my place._

_Allister. ALLISTER, SHOOT! I've gotta get home..._

"Hmmm very romantic," Bea quipped back playfully as she pried herself away from Gloria, who pouted cutely, "my favorite part was shivering in the corner while I handed you bottles..." she said as she shot a sarcastic smirk back over to Gloria, who herself began to blush profusely. She confidently shrugged the towel off of her as she brought the duffel bag up on the bench in front of her. She fished out her warmups, unfolding them as Gloria ogled back at her. 

"Hey now, I didn't mean to hog the shower, it just felt so nice..." her voice trailing off as her eyes scanned Bea's body. She pouted once again as Bea slipped on her spare clothes, crossing her arms over her towel as she sat in front of her.   
  
  


"All things aside— _professionally_ speaking as your 'fitness' trainer," Bea said softly as she crouched down in front of her, "you did a great job today! I think things are gonna go well with you.” Her face softened as she looked up at Gloria, giving her a smile as she put her hands on her thighs. She smiled a little bigger when Gloria set her hands on top of hers, leaning down for a chaste kiss.

The two broke away as Bea gave Gloria's thighs a quick squeeze, standing back up to continue packing up. She opened up a closet that neighbored the locker with her name on it and twisted the knob, rummaging through a basket in the back. Bea's eyes locked on target as she triumphantly held up a spare promotional t-shirt and a pair of sweats that she always kept as a spare in the rare case she forgot something. She turned around and eyed Gloria, who was leaning her head on her palm lazily, scrolling through her phone.   
  


_I don't want to leave..._

-•-

"Hey champion," Gloria's head perked up, "I figured since you got here so late— _and_ I noticed you didn't have a bag that you might need these." She set the clothes down to Gloria, who's eyes suddenly widened. "Oh my gosh— you're totally right, I'm so dumb— thank you!" she said in a daze as she put the clothes on her lap.

_She notices everything, wow. Also, I really need to stop mooching so much off of her..._

Gloria felt an involuntary blush heat up her cheeks as Bea hoisted the strap of her duffel on her shoulder. She had a protein bar in her hands as she looked at Gloria expectantly. 

_Ooo I have an idea..._

"Hey, Bea," Gloria started suddenly feeling very nervous as her hands braced the towel around her chest a little tighter. She averted her gaze timidly.

"Yeah? What's up?" 

"Well I was wondering— I mean this is probably— you're probably busy but— I was wondering if maybe..." She felt Bea's shadow cast over her as Gloria shot her gaze down to the tile on the ground, shifting uncomfortably on the bench. 

_Oh my god Gloria. We literally fucked like two seconds ago, stop being such a pussy about this, just ASK._

Bea's hands were suddenly on her face, angling her gaze to reach Bea's. Gloria bit her lip as Bea looked at her kindly and curiously.

"Wondering...?"

"Well maybe, since I don't want _all_ the time we spend together to be 'work-related'—" Gloria paused "or just you know, shower time heh—" A million flashes of Bea's trembling body, her moans, the way her fingers felt inside her raced through Gloria's mind as she stopped, bringing her own hands up to Bea's hands. She pulled them off her face as she laced her fingers with hers. Bea's tan fingers made a zigzag pattern as her fair ones interlocked firmly with her. "Go on a date with me? Maybe? I'll take you wherever you wanna go..." 

Bea's face glowed red.

"Oh—"

_Was that too serious?_

"I mean you don't have to—" Gloria's hands started to loosen their grip on Bea's as panic began to set in.

"I mean—"

_I was too forward, I'm scaring her off._

"Weird idea! Hah you ca—" Gloria almost let go when she felt Bea's grip firm up as she leaned down close to Gloria. 

_Save face, Gloria._

"Yes." Bea gave Gloria a tiny smile as she pecked Gloria's forehead, finally letting go and stepping back.

_YES! YES._

"Great!" Gloria's voice was laced with anxiety as Bea started walking away. "I'll text you?" She called out as Bea neared the exit, cocking her head back to look at Gloria one more time before she left.   
  
  


"Sure," Bea called back, her face glowing as her hands pushed on the bar to open the door, "I look forward to it! Gotta check on Allie though, text me when you're home safe?"

_Of course she's one of those people. She's perfect.  
_

"Yes." Gloria said with a blush.   
  
  


She watched Bea leave as the door opened with an industrial clang. The sound of its shut echoed in the locker room as Gloria smiled to herself.

_Nailed it._

-•-

Allister stared up at the ceiling of the living room, dying of boredom. He held Bea's note to his chest, as he let out a gloomy sigh.

_She's always on time, she said she'd be back by 10:00..._

He glanced at the clock. Almost 10:45. He flopped to his stomach and deftly grabbed for the remote on the coffee table, turning the tv on as he let out another exasperated sigh. The frame of the tv was illuminated by two well-know gossip anchors, talking nonsense. Allister rolled his eyes as he brought the controller to him, ready to change the channel until something caught his eye. The dark-type gym leader, Marnie, was suddenly featured. Pictures of her walking through main street suddenly flashed on the screen— one even showed her putting a cigarette out on the door of Gloria's hotel door, flipping off the camera and wearing her signature scowl.   
  


_What’s she doing in Stow-on-Side..._

His eyes suddenly shot to the refrigerator, where his and Bea’s pre-season schedules were pinned. He rushed over to his, standing on his tip toes and nudging it free from the magnet. His eyes darted to his first match of the season. Marnie’s name sat next to his: two days after Bea and Gloria’s match. He glanced back at the screen as a video depicted Marnie being restrained by a member of Team Yell, her opponent whose face was blurred shoving at her. He winced as he saw her forehead make violent contact with the unnamed person, knocking them woozily to the ground. Marnie haphazardly wiped her forehead, looking ominously into the camera. The paper crumpled in his hands as he began to shift nervously back and forth, his breath catching as panic began to set in.   
  


_I have to fight HER? That's why she's here, she's here to—I need to talk to Bea, she needs to find a way for me to back out— I can’t do thi—_

“Ghostie! I’m home!” The front door banged shut as Allister heard the door lock.

”B-Bea! H-help!” He rushed to his sister, grabbing onto her hand as he dragged her to the tv, which was still talking about Marnie’s activities last evening. Bea’s eyes widened as she snatched the remote up to change the channel, wanting to make sure she didn't appear on screen with _her. Especially_ in front of Allister. “Bea w-wait!” He held up his crumpled pre-season schedule, desperately pointing to the first entry on the calendar. Bea grabbed the waving paper, suddenly running upstairs to grab her glasses. Allister tried to calm his panicked breaths as as he heard his sister come back the stairs, reading the paper. She didn’t skip any steps as she came back down to Allister.   
  


“Oh...” 

“B-Bea— _please_ do s-something— sh-she’ll k-kill me out th-there!” Terror and anxiety bled through his words as Bea scooped him up and sat him in her lap, jumping into their couch. She knit her brow as she tried to think of what to say.   
  


“Allie...” she started, firmly hugging him as he came apart in her arms, “Marnie’s all bark and no bite—“ their eyes glanced at the tv, showing Marnie grabbing a paparazzi by their collar, a string of expletives bleeping as she raised her fist. Bea quickly shut off the tv as she made awkward eye contact once again with her younger brother. “ _— for the most part._ She’s not nearly as scary on the pitch as she is when you’re a photographer. She just likes her privacy I guess,” she shifted Allister in her arms, “sort of like you!” Allister clutched on to Bea, his breaths starting to even out.

”R-really?” He asked timidly as Bea nodded her head.

”Plus, and I know I shouldn't say this, but she’s a sloppy trainer— I’ve beat her four times in a row, so—“ she tapped her chin as she looked at the ceiling, “—since we’re family, it’s sort of tradition to beat her!” She said with a bright smile.   
  


Allister wrung his hands, leaning his head against Bea as she wrapped him up in a hug, “B-but that’s because y-you’re _you_ , sis...” he trailed off and looked down at the floor, “...I’m j-just a k-kid... sh-she’ll w-wipe the f-floor with m-me...” 

-•-

Bea frowned as she continued to try to find the words to say. Allister had a point, his team was made up of ghost-types, so he legitimately _would_ have a hard time against Marnie's rabid band of dark-types. She still couldn't let him shirk away from his responsibilities as a Gym Leader, and as his guardian, it was her duty to instill values of perseverance and honor in him. Still...

_I wish I could take her on in his stead... I wonder if Gloria would be impressed... Nope, back to being a sister Bea, let's focus here._

"Allister, look at me." She firmed her tone begrudgingly as Allister slowly brought his gaze to hers. "Allister, you are the youngest Gym Leader in the league. Probably ever in Galar's history. You are an _amazing_ trainer. Now Marnie?" She pointed at the crumpled schedule she had placed on the coffee table, "I won't lie, Marnie is very talented as well. BUT. When you took the mantle of being a gym leader, you made a promise to not only the chairman, but all of Galar, that you'd never back away from a challenge." A weak, quivering breath left Allister's mouth as he nodded in solemn agreement. " _Allie,_ " Bea shook him a bit in her arms, "you were _made_ to win. If it'll make you feel better, I'll train with you every day, any time you need me. I'll give you all of the tools you'll need to beat _her._ Because in my eyes _and_ all of Stow-on-Side, you're the front-runner to win." Allister finally gave Bea a weak smile and a nod. Bea gave him another reassuring squeeze.

_Okay, we're getting somewhere, I think I'm helping..._

"Plus," Bea added as she rolled up the sleeve of her sweatshirt, revealing a very vascular arm, "If Marnie even _thinks_ about trying anything funny after you beat her in front of everyone," she clenched her fist and firmly flexed her arm, her bicep creating a tennis-ball sized mountain in her arm, "she'll have to answer to me. Got it?" Allister laughed, wrapping his arms around Bea tightly, nodding vigorously this time. "That's my ghostie-guy— you'll show her!" She gave him a hearty pat on the back as Allister wriggled himself off of her lap, stretching as he turned around to face his sister. 

"Th-thanks sis... I-I'll do my b-best..." he fiddled with his hands as he tried his best to maintain brave eye contact with Bea, "F-for you— _a-and_ everyone 'ere i-in S-Stow-on-S-Side..." His smile made the corners of his brilliantly violet eyes crinkle, Bea felt pride well up in her chest as she stood up and gave her brother a formal bow. "'Atta boy Allister!" She gave his head an affectionate pat, "You make me _so_ proud. Everyday. Don't forget that."

Allister bashfully hid his face as he walked to the kitchen, waving his hand as if to stay 'stooooop.'

_He's really growing up so fast. I need to make sure to free up my schedule in case he needs me... Probably means less time with—_

"Y-you know," Allister said nervously as opened up their refrigerator, pulling out a juice box,"I-It showed Marnie l-leaving the h-hotel I saw G-Gloria staying at l-last night..." His voice trailed off as he took a sip, pulling out a stool at their bar, "Y-you don't th-think she's g-getting help f-from the ch-champion... right...?" Doubt suddenly crept back into his voice as he bit on the straw, kicking his feet back and forth as Bea opened the fridge to grab materials to make lunch. Her eyebrows shot up, remembering the disastrous chain of events that piled up last night as he was asleep. 

_Ooo, uhhh, how do I deal with THIS one..._

"Well..." her voice trailed off as she started to peel a potato, "let's just say I don't think the champion and Marnie are going to be— you know—training with each other anytime soon..." she struggled to find words to dodge around the subject of what she knew, not wanting to spread gossip.

_I don't want to raise any red flags for Allie, he always asks too many questions and I don't want to lie to him about what I know..._

"R-really? B-But she was a-at G-Gloria's h-hotel... She w-was probably g-gloating t-to her..." Allister's feet kicked a little harder as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. 

_He's just so innocent! Gah!_

"Really. In fact," Bea decided to switch gears, "If Gloria were to be training anyone or giving tips and such— she'd probably be doing it with you! _Not_ Marnie." 

_Oh I feel confident about this one, yeah let's go with this..._

"I worked out with her all morning so—" Bea shrugged, the knife she was brandishing waving in one hand, the potato she peeled in the other, "—If you want, I can ask her to spend some time with you if you want some help?" Bea saw Allister's eyes perk up from their gloomy sockets as the kicking began to subside. 

"You really th-think s-so? M-maybe, i-if I g-get help f-from you 'n h-her, I m-might actually h-have a sh-shot..." Allister's lips curled up into a little grin as Bea began to cube the potatoes, the knife swiftly beating against her cutting board. 

"Sure bud! Like I said, whatever you need to get this battle won, I'll make it happen." Bea looked down and began to feverishly chop at the remaining potatoes, thoughts suddenly racing through her head.

_I really should've asked Gloria first, huh... What if she hates me for it? Shoot._

The knife came dangerously close to nicking her thumb as she snapped back to reality.

A text from Gloria popped up on her screen. Allister reached for it first.


	19. UPDATE!

Hey guys! Happy Sunday! Today’s a busy day, gonna spend it with the wifey ❤️ I do have a draft almost ready, I might post later tonight or early tomorrow— I’m gonna miss you though!   
  


So while I’m away... I might already know the answer to this, but who are you rooting for and why?   
  


I love interacting with all of you, have a happy Sunday! 


	20. Missing Links

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey Guys, 
> 
> Sorry for the break! I'm gonna be sifting through replies soon, I love your continued support and engagement! Happy Monday!

  
Bea lunged for her phone, Allister’s thumb coming dangerously close to unlocking her home screen. Two notifications had popped up on her screen, one labeled as a picture message, the other reading a simple message telling Bea she’d arrived home safe with a few heart emojis tagged onto it.   
  


“Whoa there—“ Bea’s face blushed furiously, snatching up her phone as Allister wobbled backward, shaking his hand and giving Bea a sassy, purple side eye. His eyebrow cocked. “— _don’t_ you give me that look mister... you’re uh—“

_Come on Bea, think of something smart, that was totally weird..._

”G-grounded?” Allister said teasingly.

”Yes sir. _Grounded._ ” Bea narrowed her eyes at her little brother as she cradled the phone to her chest defensively. “Now, finish heating up the water while I grab my glasses...” Allister jumped down from the stool, shuffling begrudgingly to the drawer that holds their pots and pans. Bea rushed to the coffee table where her glasses laid, opening up them with her mouth as she unlocked her phone. A blurry image teased her eyes.  
  


_Oh sweet Arceus.  
  
  
_

Her eyes focused through her lenses on the screen.

_Oh SWEET Arceus._

Bea gulped nervously, shielding her phone from the sun bashfully as she took another peek at the screen.   
  


_I can’t believe she sent me this. I’ve never gotten anything... naughty before... what do I do?_

She glanced back down at Gloria’s picture message, depicting her wearing the bomber jacket she had given her a couple of nights ago. _Only_ her bomber. She blushed as she surveyed her surroundings, bravely pinching her fingers against the screen as she zoomed in. The bomber parted down the middle, revealing _just_ the right amount of cleavage, her toned stomach illuminated by the natural afternoon light.   
  


_Oh my... should I send one back? She’s so darn se—_

“Hey B-Bea?”   
  


_AH_

Bea jolted back to reality with a yelp, the phone shooting upward out of her hand. She juggled it back into stability, tripping over their coffee table as she held the phone close to her chest once again.

Allister watched sheepishly.

”Ahem. Yes? What do you need?” She unceremoniously sat back up, craning her neck up to look at her brother.

They made awkward eye contact.

The red of her face juxtaposed the silvery platinum blonde bangs that fell in front of her face. She attempted to blow them out of her eyes before giving up and brushing them away with her fingertips.   
  


“S-Seriously? Sis, y-you g-got it b-bad for G-Gloria...” Allister said as he gave Bea a smirk. “I j-just wanted t-to know i-if you wanted me t-to s-start the r-rice, heh...” 

“Hey bud, watch it—“ she gave a small grunt as she stood back up, brushing off her butt, “— and yes, please get the rice started...” she averted her gaze from Allister, nervously exiting the chat between her and Gloria as she made her way back into the kitchen.

She took her place next to Allister and started whipping up a sauce in one pan, while she sautéed some vegetables in another one, periodically bumping into her brother with her hip as they shot the breeze, cooking together. Allister occasionally stood up on his tip toes to peek at Bea’s pans in excited anticipation, Bea pausing to tousle his hair and pat his cheek.

The awkwardness melted away between the two of them as Bea turned the burners off on her gas stove, grabbing a spoon from her drawer and dipping it in the sauce. She eyed Allister, crouching down next to him as she blew cautiously on the contents of the spoon, gently feeding him a spoonful. She smiled as he let out an excited ‘mmm’, nodding in approval. Bea smiled back.

_He’s still my number one._

The two took their respective seats at the table, Allister excitedly digging in as Bea watched, she paused to wipe the corner of his mouth with her thumb, “hey slow down there ghostie, don’t be gross...” Allister gave her a guilty grin, giving her a half hearted “sorry...”

”S-so Bea... C-can you actually t-train with m-me? S-so I can b-beat M-Marnie...?” 

“Absolutely ghostie-guy, it’s like I said!” Bea put her fork down and leaned toward Allister, ”it’s family tradition to beat Marnie.” She finished her statement with a wink that made Allister give a weak smile. Bea took another bite, muffling her words a bit, “want to start tomorrow? We’ll have to skip training on Monday because I’m meeting with your teachers, but we can do an every-other-day deal on this...” 

_Ooo let’s see if he bites. He loves his days off... No pain, no gain baby..._

Bea was preparing a speech in her brain about having to put in the work to get better and other cheesy hard work cliches in case he put up a fight. Allister looked down at his plate, gauging to see if he’d be willing to give up his Sunday for Pokémon training. He felt a fire burn behind his eyes.

“Yes.”

His voice was unwavering as his feet stopped kicking for a moment. Bea smiled and patted his back.

_Atta boy!_

”Perfect. Let’s go over...” 

Allister listened attentively as his sister talked about the various exercises she likes run through before she faces a big battle. She felt like the queen of the world as Allister held his chin in his hands, leaning forward and hanging off her every word.

-•-

Cheep’s talons slashed into the sandstone, a hurricane of sand and dust whirled around the two as Gloria fished out his pokeball. Her silhouette shone in a pink flash and the dust settled peacefully around her as she flicked her bangs out of her eyes and approached the entrance of her hotel.

_I never thought I’d ever have sex like THAT... Bea’s certainly not... well she’s not what I expected at all..._

Gloria was accidentally oblivious to the receptionists' greeting as she continued to explore her thoughts, something she rarely allowed herself to do given the stress of her job— as well as the stress of the last few days.

_I never thought I’d let someone else... Bea just made me feel so safe... I never felt so... Marnie was always so rough with me..._

Gloria shook her head and sighed as she climbed up the flight of stairs leading to her room.   
  


_Her idea of romance was taking things to a bed and not some elevator or utility closet..._

_Still..._

Gloria’s key penetrated the lock, she paused as she examined its perfect fit.

_I always liked it._

She tossed her key ring onto the chair near the doorway, hearing its landing get padded by Bea’s jacket and jersey, she’d forgotten entirely to return it to her this morning. She tossed the keys aside and picked up the bomber, bringing the soft fabric to her face as she took a deep breath in.

_Smells just like her. She’s so soft and gentle... I wonder if being with her... the way she touched me, her soft voice..._

She sauntered dreamily to her bed, flopping in on her back and letting the jacket rest on her chest.

_All I’ve known are those hard, dirty nights I spent with Marnie... Do I finally understand the difference between fucking and... making lo—_

Gloria sat up in bed, her hands laced with her hair as she shut her eyes, hard.   
  


_What am I thinking? Bea probably thought this was a casual hookup... right? It was shower sex, get a grip Gloria. She left in a hurry...  
_

Gloria reached for her phone to see if there were any notifications, anything that could justify her feelings one way or another toward either girl. Nothing. Her home screen was still adorned with a picture of Marnie in her lap, her fingertips tracing the crown she had shaved into her hairline. Her expression was soft, her eyes lacked her typical, cruel, cold sheen. The memory of her last kiss stabbed through her heart and mind.

_If she loved me, why didn’t she ever tell me... why didn’t she do me like—_

Her eyes shut again as moments flashed in her memory. The way Bea clutched onto her body tightly, her steady, safe grasp. The way she whispered in Gloria’s ear.

_”I’ve got you...”_

Bea’s words echoed in Gloria’s conscious as she laid back down, reaching for the remote on the nightstand. She felt a shiver of desire roll down her body as she pictured droplets of water dripping from her shoulder onto Bea’s body. The goosebumps and tan lines Gloria traced lovingly with her fingertips.

_Lovingly?_

”UGH!” Her index finger mashed the on button of the remote as she let out an exasperated sigh. The ending of a romantic comedy that she’d seen before splashed on her screen.  
  


_Two years with Marnie... she only just now told me she loved me..._

The protagonist’s hands interlocked on screen, Gloria looked down at hers. They were clutching Bea’s jacket. She looked at her fingers. Then back at the screen.

_What have I been missing out on those two years...?_

Her eyes darted to the jacket, to the tall mirror in her room, then to her phone. Her face looked determined.

_Let’s find out._

Gloria stripped down, shrugging on Bea’s jacket as she positioned herself in front of the mirror. The camera snapped and she jumped back in bed, opening up her thread with Bea. She snuggled herself into her jacket as she nervously tucked herself beneath the covers, her heart pounding as she pressed send. Her arms ached too as she closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift off, unbothered by the columns of light bleeding through her curtains and onto her face.

  
_I wonder what it’s like to sleep with Bea... or is this as close as I’m going to get...?_

-•-

Marnie had arrived back home to Spikemuth in the wee hours of the morning. She barely got any sleep. Her eyes looked sunken, similar to her brother's, as she walked the streets of her hometown, hands dug deeply in the pockets of her leather jacket. Her teeth clamped down firmly on the cigarette as she took a deep drag, blinding herself temporarily in a plume of smoke as she sighed out of her nose.

_Last night was fuckin' ROUGH._

_Was Gloria telling me the truth about Bea...?_

The memory of last night plagued her mind as she made her way to her gym, unlocking the padlock of the chainlink gate with her key. She eyed the graffiti splayed on the brick wall beside her, her and Pier's name were inscribed with a king and queen's crown adorning the first letter of both of their names. She smirked as she slunk into the gym, kicking a beer can out of her way. A heavy-set member of Team Yell was there to greet her, jerking his head and gaze to direct her to go around the corner. Marnie put out her cigarette on the damp brick wall, flicking the butt into a nearby trashcan.

"Alright fuckers, I hear Piers is coming home tonight!" Marnie's voice called out to an alley full of members of Team Yell, her statement met with a resounding wave of hoots and hollers as her silhouette appeared before them. "Are we gonna part or WHAT?" Her small figure was crowded, their cheers raising even more, shaking the fence and the small stage that stood at the top of her pitch. "Let's get this place cleaned up!" She called through cupped hands, her body hoisted up and carried by her fans as she was surfed out to the center of her stadium. Curious onlookers peeked through the fence as well, inspecting the ruckus that was shooting through the streets of the town. Marnie smirked as she got haphazardly set down, yanking down the hem of her jacket as members of Team Yell opened the gates of her gym. She walked over to the stage, picking up the megaphone that she hung up on the shanty wall. 

"SPIIIIIIKEMUTH. TONIGHT PIERS COMES HOME. TONIGHT? WE DRIIIIIINK!"

The curious growing crowd erupted in more cheers as she threw the microphone down to the ground, feeling her blood pump as the crowd begged for more of Marnie. She waved and flipped the bird as she sauntered off stage, taking the back way home. The feeling of grandeur quickly faded as she checked the time on her phone, Gloria's happy smile greeting her felt like a lie to Marnie. A notification from Nessa surprised Marnie as she unlocked her phone. 

_What does ole water thot want with me today? Of course she hears about the party..._

Water Thot 🐟: Hey slut. Heard Piers is coming home today, I'm coming over and getting drunk with you, love you byeeeeee

Marnie didn't bother to reply, knowing she was coming either way. She felt a smile smile perk up her cheeks as she hopped the fence to get into her tiny backyard, the brownstone casting a dreary shadow on her figure. The afternoon sun was half-heartedly peeking over the roofs of the tall buildings as she opened her back door.

_Gloria's gonna do what SHE needs to do. Tonight? I'm gonna do what I need to do. And I need a drink._

She tossed her phone on her small kitchen table as she opened her the cupboard above her sink. She coughed as she stretched her hands up to reach for the amber bottle. Her pocket began to jostle, the sound of a pokeball activating was muffled by her leather jacket.

"What the _—"_

A brilliant burst of pink and white light illuminated her home as her Morpeko busted out of his ball, definitely not on Marnie's command. She gave an exasperated sigh as her tiny friend scurried up her arm, jumping off her hand to slam the door of the cupboard. Marnie backed away, shaking her hand.

"Geez Peeks, can't I have some fun?"

She reached in her other pocket to bring out her pack of cigarettes. Morpeko's demeanor morphed, his bright red eyes boring into Marnie's soul. She slowly put the pack of cigarettes on the counter, to which Morpeko violently shook his head to. Marnie stepped on the paddle of her trash can, opening up and motioned her pack over the mouth of it. Morpeko nodded and she rolled her eyes.

"There was only like three left anyway... little stinker..." Marnie begrudgingly tossed the pack in there as she slipped her shoes and jacket off. "Come over here Peeko," her hands opened a drawer near the bottom of the cupboards, fingers grasping a tall tupperware of his favorite berries. She stood back up, "Ooo, someone's excitedddd _—"_ Morpeko jumped into her arms as she waved the treat in front of his gleaming eyes, his fur spiking up in anticipation. She held him in her arms as she walked over to her couch, the only sound in her home was the cute crunch of Morpeko's mouth. A light shone from Marnie's arms as he switched back to his usual yellow and brown self, Marnie gave him a smile as she held him up to her face.

"Ohh Peeko... Remember how Gloria used to call you Pico de Gallo? And I was dumb enough to call it annoying...?" She buried her face into his fluffy stomach, letting out a groan. Morpeko gave out a whine. 

"Yeah I know... Reckon I should clean the place up before Piers gets home?" The small rodent nodded and she sank a little deeper into the couch, "right-o Peeko..." 

A knock on her door made her flinch. Morpeko flew out of her arms and started to scratch at the door. Marnie adjusted the strap of her dress as she got up, massaging the bags under her eyes as she unlocked the door.

"Nessa?"

"Ew, Arceus Marnie, what happened to you?" soft dark hands cupped Marnie's cheeks as she averted her gaze and backed away, allowing Nessa's tall figure to enter her house.

"'s nothin'... Didn't get a lot of sleep you know..." Marnie mumbled as Nessa's thumbs gently pressed beneath her eyes.

"Yikes, you know I have this caffeinated serum that gets rid of bags like that _—"_ She sauntered to the couch and flopped down, allowing Morpeko to jump on her lap, " _—_ you know, just in case Sonia and I have a late night..." Her voice trailed off as she scratched behind Morpeko's ears, moving her feet to allow Marnie to take a seat next to her. "Soooo, how did your trip to SoS gooo? Saw some pictures of you _—"_ she gestured to Marnie, waving her phone, " _—_ and I figured I'd ask how things went!"

Marnie sighed and sank back down into the cushion, tapping her fingers on her knees, her brow knit in thought. "Well, it went well sort of," her steely green eyes connected with Nessa's as she continued, "I told her that I was wrong, we had a little fight, she cried a little, Bea came and dropped off one of Gloria's bras _—"_

_"She what??"_

"Yup, and I got mad, DUH." Marnie threw her hands up in the air as she sank even lower, "but Gloria said nothing happened between the two of them and Bea left... Went out to her balcony for a smoke to calm down... Gloria came up to me, and I finally grew a pair and told her... Told her I love her..." Marnie closed her eyes and did her best to even out her breathing. "I even kissed her... she looked like she wanted to cry the whole time _—_ she even _did_ cry a little actually..."

Nessa scooted closer to Marnie, propping her legs on her lap and sitting up so she could reach out. Marnie's hands rested on her legs. 

"Oh gosh... Not the reaction you we _—"_

_"Not_ the reaction I was expecting, no..."

Nessa's expression was complicated as she grabbed one of Marnie's hands. She took a deep breath in and Marnie perked up to look at her as she spoke.  
  
  


"Well..."

Marnie looked at her expectantly. 

"I know..."

_What?_

Marnie's face showed confusion.

"I know how you feel... When Sonia and I were broken up, I think she might have spent some time rebounding with Leon... I was so jealous... But I'm gonna warn you now not to make the same mistake _I_ did when I wanted to be petty..."

Marnie nodded, "and that is...?"

"Well don't go out and fuck whoever's out there, you know? I did that... and it didn't really go over that well for me, or anyone else involved..."

"You rebounded? No way, with who? How did I not know this??" Marnie's expression perked up with interest, her grasp on Nessa's legs tightened.

"You're gonna kill me. It was like two years ago and it was a total fluke that has NOTHING to do with your current situation." She averted her aqua gaze to the floor.

"Nessa. Who did you rebound with?"

"It was like a one-night stand deal _—_ it's not like _—"_

_"Nessa!"_

Silence hung through the air as Nessa winced at Marnie's vice grip and penetrating gaze. She gulped loudly as her lips pursed together.

"Bea?"


	21. Coping Mechanisms: Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let’s dive into our various character’s coping mechanisms as the plot thickens... Also— everyone is gonna hate this chapter, SORRY!

_ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO..._

Nessa stumbled out of Leon’s high rise in Wyndon, the faint throb of an 808 drum pulsed in the distance as the glass door came to a shut. She wiped the tears from her eyes as she rummaged furiously through her clutch, the buzz from the alcohol making it difficult to see.

_I can’t believe her. I can’t believe HIM. How could she just — KISS him like that?_

She felt her knees start to buckle as she gave up looking for her phone. She sat in a crumpled heap on the concrete sidewalk as she let her tears fall. The door behind her suddenly opened, causing her to flinch.

_What now?_

”Nessa?” A kind, bright voice drifted to her ears. She turned around.

  
_Oh, it’s the kid._

”Oh—“ she sniffed and deftly wiped her cheek with her hand, “hey kid, what’s up?” Her voice wavered.

_This is embarass—_

A tan hand, a little bit smaller than Nessa’s suddenly appeared before her face. She looked up to see Bea, cutely dressed in a white v-neck and a suspender dress leaning down before her, offering to help her up.

”Need a hand?” Bea let her usual guard down and offered a small smile. Nessa felt a blush heat up her cheeks.  
  


_I’ve never seen her smile... She’s cute like this..._

Their hands made a little clap as Bea hoisted Nessa up, bringing her gaze upward to meet her eyes.

  
“Uppsy daisy...”

_And she’s so tiny!_

”Are you doing okay? You look like— I mean—“ Bea brought her index finger and swiped beneath her eye, causing Nessa’s hands to shoot up to her face.

_SHIT._

_”_ I mean! You don’t look bad! I just want to make sure you’re alright is all...” Bea’s voice trailed off as she fiddled with the waistband of her skirt, shifting back and forth. Nessa’s figure towered over her.

She let out a wavering sigh.

”You know kid?” She put her hand on her hip and leaned down, “I could use a pick-me-up, I lost my phone and can’t call a cab back to my hotel. Do you think you can give me a hand?”   
  


Bea nodded, fishing her phone out of her pocket and tapping open the taxi app.

”Sure thing...”

”So...” an awkward silence hung between the two as Nessa eyed Bea nervously, “never took you for the party-girl, Bea...” a nervous laugh escaped from both as Bea reached her hand behind her neck, massaging it sheepishly.

”Ah well, you know. I lost a dumb bet with Raihan, so he sort of forced me to come—“ she looked down at her outfit, flicking the hem of her short skirt, “— part of losing was wearing this guy too... sort of embarrassing isn’t it?” Bea shot a nervous smile up to Nessa, she felt her nerves melt away as she maintained eye contact.   
  


“I actually think you look cute! It suits you.” She nudged Bea playfully with her elbow letting out a laugh. Her breathing began to even out as the thought of Sonia’s lips meeting Leon’s started to fade away.

”Well— uh— anyway... I’m really not the person for this scene, I couldn’t wait to get out of there. In all honesty, I can’t wait to get out of Wyndon in general!” The two girls walked to a nearby bench as the stars glittered above them. Nessa wobbled a bit as she started walking.

_Shit. Maybe I had one too many to drink tonight, I’m making myself look bad._

She flinched as she felt Bea’s hands steady her from behind, gently realigning her with the path as she took her seat.

”Are you sure you’re alright? I’d feel bad if I just walked away, do you need some water?”   
  


_She’s certainly a lot nicer than she looks on the pitch..._

Nessa waved her hand nonchalantly, whisking away Bea’s worry, “Me? Nahh, I’m fine. Have _you_ had anything to drink, miss goody-goody?” Bea’s brow furrowed nervously, a small blush flooding her cheeks.

”What? Me? No way, I don’t drink. It’s uh, not good for the liver...” Bea trailed off and broke her eye contact with Nessa, looking straight ahead as she scrunched her skirt in her hands.

”Oh is that so? Such a straight shooter,” Nessa reached boldly, putting her palm on Bea’s thigh, causing Bea’s already straight posture to shoot up, her back stiffening. Nessa leaned in, her arm wrapping around Bea’s shoulders, “what other things do you not like to do...? Have you ever—“ Nessa’s lips came dangerously close to Bea’s scarlet ear, her voice hushing to a whisper, “ _been with someone?_ ”

-•-

_Hoooooh man, Nessa must be really drunk, I need to get her home._

She flinched as her dark hand grabbed at her thigh, her hands were cold against her perpetually warm skin. Bea’s eyes shot down, then to the side nervously as her heart began to throb. She filtered out most of what Nessa said, but she suddenly felt a small whisper tickle her ear.   
  


_”Have you ever... been with someone...?”_

_Oh yikes. Oh no, this isn’t going well, where is the taxi?_

Bea fumbled with her pocket, nervously pulling her phone out as she leaned away from Nessa’s seductive whisper.   
  


_TEN MINUTES? Ten minutes away? What am I supposed to do???_

She whipped her head to the side and met Nessa’s heavy-lidded gaze anxiously, swallowing hard.

”B-been with someone? I mean—“ _alright Bea, diffuse, it’s time to diffuse,_ “I’m here with you right now, aren’t I?” Bea’s voice quivered anxiously as she tried to scoot away.

Nessa pouted. “Awwhh, well aren’t you so cute and flustered...” Tessa scootched closer in locked pursuit of Bea, “... so you’ve never been in _love? Never had a...”_ she started to whisper again, her eyes watching Bea’s hand as she pulled at her collar anxiously, “ _... a crush...?”_

_What is with her??_

Bea’s mind suddenly went to Gloria. The mysterious Gym Challenger that demanded she remember her name. She thought about her eyes, the way she laughed when she came-to in Bea’s arms, the hug... She blushed hard as she though about how her hands lingered on her waist.

_Not now! Or wait, maybe if I tell her I’m interested in someone else..._

”W-well, there is someone...” Bea nervously tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear as she continued to unsuccessfully put distance between herself and Nessa. She suddenly felt Nessa’s grip on her thigh strengthen.

”Oh? Do tell...” 

“I mean, your taxi’s coming in like five minutes—“ 

Nessa’s hand began to slide up.

”Don’t be so stingy with me... I wanna know...” Nessa said with a wink. Bea couldn’t get any redder.

-•-

_Hook, line, and sinker babyyy no one can withstand these looks... Now to give her the pout..._

Bea shifted nervously, struggling to maintain eye contact.

_She’s so cute and innocent..._

”I m-mean... it’s sort of embarrassing! She’s—“ Bea’s hand shot up to her mouth, her eyes widening in panic.

_Oh! The plot thickens, our straight-shooter not so straight after all..._

_  
Wait... did I say that out loud...?_

_Oops._

  
Panic set in Bea’s eyes as she stood up abruptly turning away.   
  


“GOTTA GO.”   
  


_“Hey!_ Wait! I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that!” Nessa’s hands grabbed Bea’s.

_Surprisingly soft..._

Bea shuddered as Nessa walked closer to her, pulling her in close. “It’s okay! I don’t judge... I’ve been there...” her tone of voice softened as she put a finger beneath Bea’s chin, angling her gaze upward. “Tell me about her...” 

_She’s blushing so hard... her eyes are so wide... She makes such a cute little distraction._

”W-well...” Bea stuttered uncharacteristically, “She’d never like me back... there’s a small age difference...”

_Age difference you say?_

”And she’s a little bit taller than me, but I’m okay with that...” a bashful smile crept onto her face as Bea relaxed.

_And taller...?_

Nessa glanced down at her feet, then to Bea, the top of her head reaching to just above her collar bone.

_Okayyyy I’m liking where this is going..._

Bea sighed dreamily as she took a step back and turned away, closing her eyes in thought, “plus, she’s an amazing trainer, she actually beat me recently!” Her eyes opened excitedly as she gave a cute twirl to face Nessa once again, her silver hair glowing in the light of the street lamp. Nessa suddenly remembered their exhibition match a couple of weeks ago in her stadium and how she dove in to retrieve her floating falinks as the crowd roared for Nessa’s victory. Her eyes dropped to her hands as she recalled the wet handshake.

_Did she hold onto me longer or am I making this up...?_

Nessa was snapped back to reality by Bea’s dreamy sigh. “She probably doesn’t know I exist though, she definitely wouldn’t give a second thought to me...” she tugged at the hem of her skirt disappointedly. Nessa’s heart pounded.

_I have a TERRIBLE idea..._

”Wanna know the best way to get over a crush?”   
  


Bea’s gaze perked up.

The flying taxi landed, sending a whoosh of air through the two girls’ hair and dresses. Nessa’s gaze was intense as she reached her hand out to Bea.

”Come with me, I’ll show you how...” 

Bea reached out as if in a trance.

The door of the taxi shut.

-•-

_This was a terrible lapse in judgement._

Bea felt her heartbeat throb in her throat as Nessa’s hands cupped her face with one hand, and shut the door of her hotel room with the other. Bea backed away cautiously.

"You know— I totally forgot, I have to head—" Nessa brought her second hand to Bea's burning cheek, biting her lip as she locked her gaze with Bea. 

"Head where?" Nessa asked quietly, commanding Bea's attention. "Leaving so soon? I thought you needed help getting over a little crush..."

_There's no way this is actually happening. This is just a weird dream. It has to be._

"No that's not what I meant—I just mean," Bea didn't know where to look, opting to innocently shut her eyes as she became increasingly more and more flustered, "—you're— you should rest! I just wanted to make sure you got home safe you know?" Nessa's hands slid from her cheeks, to her shoulders, to her arms as she continued to close in on Bea. She gave her a wry smile as she gave a little squeeze.  
  
  


_"You're so cute when you're nervous..."_

"Nervous? No, you have the wrong idea," Bea awkwardly gestured with her hands as she continued to back away, her heel banging on the foot of the bed frame. Her head darted behind her, her eyes got wide, "Now wait a sec—" she fell backward into the luxuriously fluffy embrace of the bed, sinking into the duvet. Nessa's hands sunk deeply on either side of Bea's face as she crawled on top. Bea scooted up, trying to prop herself up on her elbows. 

"Are you scared?" Nessa's voice was deep and inquisitive, her face nearing Bea's.

"Not exactly—I just," Bea's eyes darted to the champaign bottle perched in a bucket of melting ice on the table, then back into Nessa's eyes, "you're drunk?"

"I'm feeling sober as ever," Nessa said confidently, straddling Bea as she sat up, touching her finger to her nose satirically, "see? want me to say the alphabet backwards?"

_Oh no._

Bea's mind raced, trying to find another out. "W-well you're a model— I mean you shouldn't—"

"Shouldn't want to sleep with the most famous martial arts prodigy in Galar? How come?" Nessa's aqua eyes searched Bea's face intently, her cheeks glowing furiously.

_She wants to sleep with me??? What's going on???  
_

Nessa leaned in for a kiss. Bea's hands shot up to her shoulders. Her gaze was averted to the side, eyes closed as she braced for impact. 

"I've never... you know..."

"You've never... _done the deed?_ " Nessa sat up, not wanting to resist Bea's strength. Bea nodded shyly. She let out a long sigh as she rested her hands gently on Bea's abdomen. Silence filled the room. Bea cautiously reconnected her gaze to Nessa's face, which seemed preoccupied with her thoughts. 

_Would it be... bad? She said it would help..._

She jumped, Nessa's eyes suddenly darting to meet hers.   
  
  


"I can teach you."

"Is it bad? Is this bad?"

"We're both adults, as long as you say yes, we're in the clear..."

Bea was overwhelmed by the thumping in her head and chest. Nessa's curious hands slid upward, her attention caught by the throbbing beat of her heart.

"And it feels like you want me... You _do_ want me, right...?" 

Silence hung for a moment.

"Yes."

-•-

Nessa rolled onto her back, the sheets rolling with her as they slid gently off of Bea's back. She didn't seem to care, as she sighed at the feeling of fresh air hitting her skin. Nessa did her best to stifle her ragged, gasping breaths as she sat up, eyeing her mini fridge. She stood up, staggering a bit as she desperately reached for the water bottle, twisting off the cap as fast as she possibly could. She looked at the time as she began to drink.

_It's FOUR IN THE MORNING???_

Her eyes darted back to Bea's peaceful body, her head resting comfortably on top of her arms, her back muscles flexing as she took a deep breath in. Nessa was reeling. 

_Look at this work of art..._

She laid back down in bed, giving up on hiding her exhaustion, Bea's face furrowed in concern as she reached out to touch Nessa. 

"Are you okay? Was that bad? Did I do something wrong?"

_She's still so CUTE. FUCK. And how is she not exhausted???_

"No way... it's just that... I mean WOW. Were you made in the same lab mewtwo was??" Nessa snuggled under the sheets and turned to face Bea, who barely seemed to break a sweat. Her eyebrow cocked in confusion. "Seriously, answer me honestly," she reached her hand, delicately tracing Bea's shoulder blades with her fingertips, "could you _realistically_ keep going?" Bea took a brief moment to think, propping her chin on her fist. She returned her gaze back to Nessa and nodded. Her jaw dropped. 

Nessa waved her hand beneath her chin to cool herself down as she rolled once again onto her back. She turned her head to look at Bea, who's cheek was squished cutely against her hand, returning her gaze. Stillness fell into the room like a thick blanket as they held each other's gaze. Nessa struggled with herself.

"One more time?" Nessa's voice wavered. 

Bea nodded.


	22. MORE COMING SOON

Hey Team!

Ehhh I'm having trouble on this next chapter-- it might be because I wrote like 50k words in like ten days... hehe... Anywhoo, I'm still working on it! Thanks for helping the fic hit 1k hits! Guess I'll have to make sure to write another 50k words to hit 2k lol. I love and miss you all, so sorry for my lack of activity. I'll be back soon! Like how bout I set a hard deadline for the chapter byyyyy Sunday? Okie doke, have a great rest of your night!


	23. Coping Mechanisms: Part 1.5

Gloria's eyes struggled open, her pupils rejecting the late afternoon fragments of light that bled in through her curtains.

"Hnnggnnggghh..."

She attempted to bring her hand to her face to wipe the sleep from her eyes but was immediately jolted into consciousness by the searing ache in her arms and shoulders.

_FUCK. No way?? I can't be THIS out of shape can I?_

She let out a geriatric groan as she fought her way up into a sitting position, the cool metal zipper of Bea's jacket tickling her chest and abdomen. She looked down as she eased into consciousness.  
  
  


_Bea..._

Gloria patted around her bed and fished her phone from the sheets as she checked her messages. She gave a little wince when she clicked the phone on, seeing Marnie's face flash across the home screen. She gave another wince when she saw that there were no new notifications. She sunk back into bed, cradling her phone to her chest.

_Maybe I got the wrong idea after all... She doesn't see anything serious happening between the tw—_

She gasped, her phone vibrating against her chest suddenly. She darted her gaze downward, shifting the phone screen up to her.

_Spoke too soon!_

Bea🍦: Two things: So sorry for the late reply, I was helping Allie with something. Also, are you doing anything right now? I want to show you how much I appreciated that pic...

_So naughty!_

Gloria tapped her chin as she thought about how to reply. She had almost finished typing when her phone buzzed again.

Bea🍦: Also third thing, I need to ask you something. Can I take you up on that date?

Gloria smiled, letting out a dreamy sigh as she sent out her simple reply.

Gloria👑: Absolutely. Meet me at the hotel?

Gloria paused, assessing her next move, deciding today was her day to be brave.

Gloria👑: Don't make me miss you for too long❤️❤️

She gave herself a proud smile as she attempted to get out of bed, her muscles rejecting all efforts of movement. She finally stood up, taking a second to look down. She let out a sad sigh.  
  


_Great. Now I have to get dressed. I wonder if Bea ever feels this sore..._

She shuffled her way to the box of clothes she had sent from Wyndon. She settled on a simple pair of dukes and a t-shirt— not wanting to complicate things with accessories due to the raging pain in her muscles. She paused in front of the mirror, adjusting her bangs and tucking in her shirt. She paused looking at the bed and the chair.

_I should really return these..._

She picked up Bea's bomber, zipping it up and carefully folding it. She walked to the chair where her jersey and the spare clothes she received laid. As she was neatly stacking the clothes, one on top of the other, her thoughts drifted to Bea's home. She inspected her folds more carefully.

_She really is SO neat... I wonder if she's like that all the time..._

She heard the muffled buzz of her phone vibrating against her sheets. Her eyebrow cocking up.  
  


_That was quick..._

-•-

Bea set the purple pen back into the case, nestling it precisely in its spot on the vibrant color gradient. She gently patted the oversized calendar that sat in her lap, her legs crossed comfortably on her bed. Each day was inscribed with various bullet points, each item in a different color depending on what activity she was doing. It was painfully full.  
  


_Alrighty, and I’m done! I now have the perfect routine set, each moment of the day will be maximized! Allister is gonna love it!_

She stretched her hands to the ceiling, a percussive symphony of pops leaving her joints as she yawned. She reached to her nightstand where her phone laid. Her eyes widened.

_Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh! Has it actually been three hours? Maybe I should cool it on the color coding..._

Bea's eyes scanned her immaculate bedroom, a feeling of... _discomfort?_ Spread over her as she stood up. 

_Something's... missing... or wrong... did I forget to do something?_

She walked to her dresser, running her finger over the top of it. She inspected her fingertips.

_Still clean..._

Her eyes dropped to the floor, perfect vacuum lines adorning the carpet save for a few footprints that belonged to her. 

_Acceptable... What am I— Oh no. GLORIA._

She whipped around, patting her bed for her phone. She brought it up close to her face, squinting as she swiped her way to their text thread. 

_Okay okay, it's cool, everything's cool... What am I saying?? She probably hates me now..._

Bea paced back and forth as she typed what felt like a million different responses, the quiet sound of her thumbs drumming against the screen only made her anxiety worse. 

_What if I blew it???_

Bea brought her hand to her head, her fingers lacing in her hair firmly.

"UGH!"

_Okay Bea. Just. Be normal. Just a regular girl. Just— completely, totally normal and calm..._

Her fingers began to cautiously type. Her heart throbbed with uncertainty. She pressed send. She took a second to herself to take one last look at the picture Gloria sent her, allowing herself at least a moment of relief from her anxiety. She held the phone to her chest as she waited for Gloria's reply. She let out a sigh of relief when she felt it buzz.

-•-

Marnie's jaw dropped. 

"Does Sonia know about this??"  
  
  


Nessa shot Marnie a death stare, narrowing her eyes. Her eyeshadow glittered in the setting sunlight. She scoffed. "Does Sonia know? Of course she knows. They saw each other that same morning..." She brought her hand to her brow, pinching the bridge of her nose as she cringed. "Bea woke up _way_ early at like seven and was heading out. They saw each other in the lobby of the hotel, Sonia was bringing my phone back..." Her voice trailed off as she looked off into the distance. Marnie got the feeling that she was reliving the whole experience again.

"Yikes..."

"Yikes is right," Nessa let out an exasperated sigh, "she's a super-genius, so she knew as soon as she came into my room. It's like she had a sixth sense or something... anyways, not only did it set me back, like, a _million_ years with Sonia, Bea found out she was a rebound and still hates me for it..." She eyed Marnie's pout, shifting her legs nervously in her lap, "... but you don't care bout that do you..." 

Silence hung in Marnie's brownstone. Nessa hung her head.

_Wow..._

Marnie cleared her throat, giving an affectionate pat to Nessa's shin. "So let me get this straight," Her eyes connected with Nessa's, "my ex girlfriend is in Stow-on-Side, training with Bea, who _you_ slept with a few years ago, who is apparently some sex goddess, and _I'm_ supposed to be mature and give Gloria space... and do nothing about it..." Marnie's eyebrow raised as her voice got increasingly harsher and harsher. Nessa gave a weak nod.

"Honestly Marnie," She brought legs up to her, tucking them close and resting her chin on her knees, "it's not about who's fucking who or whatever, you're supposed to be using this time to make yourself better for her... I made the mistake of sulking for too long and I just ended up _—_ I dunno... Shittier. It made the process of falling back in love with Sonia way longer and way harder than it needed to be." She reached her hand out to Marnie's, grasping it tight. "Plus, I _know_ you feel it in your heart that you and Gloria are meant to be. I know _I_ do. So why not take this time to like, think about what happened with you guys. Like, I guess, fixing the issues she had in the first place? If Gloria said nothing's going on with her and Bea, then drop the jealousy and worry about getting better...?" 

Marnie sunk deeper into the couch, confusion, distrust, and pain welling in the pit of her stomach. 

_"I..."_

_"Can't..."_

Marnie's eyes darted back to Nessa's, determination burning in her eyes. "I can't do that, Nessa. I can't leave this alone, and I'm _not_ going to let Bea take her. I'll figure out how to win Gloria back and figure myself out at the same time. I just can't _—"_ the front door opened, flooding the living room with afternoon light, " _—_ let her go..." Her voice trailed off as she turned around, Piers's silhouette glowing in her doorway.

"Let _who_ go now?"

-•-

Sonia flicked the lights off in her office, letting out a dreamy sigh. 

"Hop? You still here?" Her voice echoed off of the sterile walls of the main lab as she peeked her head in the doorway. She saw Hop hunched in front of his laptop, shaking his leg as he typed.  
  
  


"Yes ma'am, what's up?" His golden brown eyes darted up to meet Sonia's, he didn't stop typing. 

"Hey, I'm gonna head out, do you think you could lock up today? Make sure to keep the Dynamax Monitor running tonight, I want to check the readings tomorrow morning with you before we analyze the rest of this month's reports..." Her voice trailed off, she flicked her glasses down from her forehead to the bridge of her nose as she started thumbing through her phone, her thumb tapping rhythmically.

"Sure thing professor, need anything else?" 

Sonia inspected the message in front of her before tapping send, pausing for a moment to shake her head to Hop. "No thanks Hop," a whoosh left her phone's speaker as she tucked it into her pocket, "good work today!"

The door shut behind her, she tapped her chin as she walked the sidewalk. 

_I hope Gloria's okay with knowing the truth... I wonder if she'll give me a call tonight._

The afternoon sun cast an orange hue in Wedgehurst as she stepped into the flying taxi.


	24. Coping Mechanisms: Part 2

Gloria walked over to the bed, wincing at almost every step as she did her best to work out the stiffness in her muscles. She picked up her phone, sliding her thumb across the screen to check her messages. 

_Hmm, Sonia? I haven't talked to her since... forever..._

Sonia: Hey Gloria, have some time for a quick call, girlie? Lemme know!

Gloria looked at her phone, then glanced out the window. She weighed her priorities, shrugging inconsequentially as she shoved the phone in her butt pocket. 

_Ehhhh doesn't sound too urgent... Tonight I wanna just focus on Bea..._

She felt a dopey smile spread across her face at the thought of her, those same words continuing to echo through her mind. 

_"I've got you..."_

She was suddenly brought back to reality by a knock on her door. Her ears perked up. 

_Do I hear... panting...?_

"Euuuhghhhhh here we go..." Gloria's face started to turn red with effort as she forced herself to stand, shuffling painfully to the door. Her heart melted at the sight of Bea's face when the door creaked open. She stepped aside and beckoned her in.

”Well you got here fast,” Gloria said teasingly, closing the door behind them, “one workout wasn’t enough for you today?” She walked close behind Bea, wrapping her arms around her waist.

She smiled as Bea’s ears turned bright red.

-•-

“Oh— well I mean—“ _Oh no oh no she shouldn’t be so close, do I smell bad? I think I might. Do I seem to excited? Is it lame? How much time has passed?_

”You okay? Helloooo, any reason you rushed over here so fast?” Gloria’s voice gave Bea goosebumps, stalling out her internal thought process completely.

_Uhhhhh_

”Uhhhhh,” Bea turned herself around in Gloria’s arms as she tried to find the words to say. “No particular reason?” _Wait that’s dumb, don’t make her feel bad, she’s important. Say something smart._ “Actually scratch that? There are several particular reasons.” Gloria flashed a smile as she pulled her in for a tight hug. Bea’s singular on-duty brain cell cheered for joy as a love struck grin flashed on her face. She nuzzled her face into the crook of Gloria's neck and felt a happy hum vibrate against her cheek. "Hey," she pulled away begrudgingly to scan Gloria up and down, "how are you feeling? I hope you've been walking around to keep circulation running..." Gloria looked down sheepishly, scuffing her foot against the carpet.

"Ehh about that... Yeah I mean, sort of?"

Bea cocked her eyebrow.

"Okay yeah no, I took a nap and I feel like death. Bea, I'm _so_ out of shape, please help..." Gloria's hand went to grab her wrist, she winced as her muscles did their best to do her bidding. Bea's brow furrowed in concern.

_Awwwh_ _nooo she's so cute and littleeeee... Wait. Actually though, I should help her, maybe she should relax... Uhhhmmm..._

Bea's hands reached out to Gloria's shoulders deftly as years of experience suddenly started to come back to her. She did her best to shake off the buzz of her raging heart beat as she guided Gloria to the chair behind her. She noticed a groan leave Gloria's lips as she settled into the chair, letting out a relieved sigh. Bea crouched in front of her, Gloria's gaze fell expectantly down to meet her eyes. _Don't blush don't blush don't blush, this is business._ She gently put her hands on the top of Gloria's thighs. She rolled her thumb over her soft skin.

" _Where does it hurt?_ "

She didn't expect Gloria's face to get so red.

-•-

"Piers?"

"Piers!"

The two girls rushed to the door, hugging Piers together as he tried in vain to lock the door behind him.

_Yuck... Only kinda though... Marnie doesn't look all that good today..._

"Alright, alrightttt, that's good, that's enough..." He flicked the hair from his eyes, letting out a sigh as he turned around to greet the girls. His gaze was split between Nessa and Marnie, Nessa's taller figure engulfing him in a tight hug, Marnie's much smaller figure fighting for room. He groaned as he tried to shuffle to the couch, "ugh, let go... I missed you too... sort of... he peek..." The girls finally let go of him as he gave a weak wave to Marnie's morpeko, lounging comfortably beneath the coffee table in the living room. He took a deep breath in, then jumped on the couch. 

_Let's read the room, what's going on today..._

"So... sis, who're you not lettin' go...? Did I walk in on girl talk or som'n'...?" He kicked his feet off as he looked at the two expectantly, catching on to their awkward body language. "What? Did you break up with goody-goody?" 

Marnie's jaw dropped, Nessa cringed.

_Bingo boy-o..._

"But— what? No, I mean, you don't know... I mean, we're—"  
  
  


"Hey. I fed you, washed you up, I _changed your diapers_ ," Piers sat up, leaning forward menacingly as his and Marnie's cold eyes battled each other, "I know _everything_ about you." He relaxed his gaze a little as Marnie began to shift uncomfortably. "And I also don't care. I mean I care bout you, but the whole lady thing, I don't mind..." She dragged her feet as she walked towards the chair next to the couch, hanging her head in defeat. 

_I probably could've worded that better, did I hurt her feelings...?_ _Ughh..._

She plopped down into the chair and let out a huff, Nessa sauntered behind the chair and wrapped her arms around Marnie, shooting Piers a death stare. "You could be a little more sensitive you know... Our little baby had her heart broken..." She pouted a bit, Piers posture suddenly shot up in inexplicable anger.   
  


"Say _what_ now? Gloria broke your heart? _Gloria?_ I was just messin' around— are you _serious_?" He stood up, pacing back and forth anxiously. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a tattered cigarette carton, tapping one out into his hand in a fury. He put the cigarette in his mouth, talking behind clenched teeth, "I _swear_ — I'll _mess her u_ —"

Marnie's small pale hand snatched the cigarette from his mouth, her face furrowed in dismay. She put the cigarette between her own lips as she mumbled back to her irate brother. "Calm yer tits Piers... 's not like that. It's _my—"_ she shot a look over to Nessa, "—fault that I'm in this mess. I was the one who... sort of..." she held her hand out expectantly for Piers's lighter. He nonchalantly obliged to Nessa's horror in the background. "... Well, we fought and I said terrible things. Now she's in Stow-on-Side hanging out with what I _just_ found out to be Nessa's previous fling." She puffed into the small flame of Piers's lighter as she finished the story, Piers's demeanor calming down significantly. Nessa's jaw still hung open as the cigarette crackled at Marnie's drag. Pier's brought out his pack and shook the last cigarette into his own palm.

"Is anyone gonna say anything about the fact that you two just _smoke inside—"_

Piers put his hand on his sister's shoulder, giving her an affectionate pat as she in turn held the lighter for her brother. "'M sorry... sounds like the pits Marnie..."

"I mean, doesn't that like, decrease the property val—"

"It's alright I suppose... Nessa's been here to help me figure it out 'n all..." The two let out out a plume of smoke simultaneously, wisps of smoke curling depressingly around them both.

"Like, I'm _right_ here, should I crack a window open or some—"

"So... what's your plan?" Piers's voice drawled as he looked into his sister's eyes expectantly. "What really happened? I might be able to help, I dunno..." He balanced the cigarette between his index finger and middle finger as he wiped his forehead, Marnie mirrored his movements almost exactly.

"You got time to hear the whole thing?" Smoke poured from her mouth as she spoke, Piers made his way to the kitchen and nodded. Nessa threw her hands up in the air, approaching Marnie. Marnie dodged her grabby hands, biting down harder on the cigarette as she tried to snatch it out of her mouth. 

The sound of glass clinking on glass was followed by the pour of a drink. 

"Let's hear it," the cigarette smoldered between his fingers as he held the amber glass up,

"Want one?"

-•-

_Why do I feel like this always happens to me..._

Bea rolled onto her back, breathless. A bead of sweat rolling down her neck. She turned her head to look at Gloria, who let out a satisfied sigh. 

"Wow."

"Wow."

Gloria rolled over, resting her head on Bea's chest, snuggling close as she delicately brought her hand up to trace over her collarbones. The caress sent a shiver up Bea's spine. The two held each other quietly, Gloria's head rising and falling with with the rhythm of Bea's chest. Bea squished her cheek gently against her head.

"Feel better?" Bea said playfully as she gently played with Gloria's hair, twirling it gently. 

"Definitely." Gloria's voice was fatigued, Bea furrowed her brow. 

_I should be taking care of her... I feel guilty..._

_"_ Hey, can I ask you something...?" Bea felt Gloria nod against her cheek. "Actually, can I ask multiple things?" She pulled away to look at Gloria, doing her best to keep her composure as she melted before her gaze. A dreamy smile plastered on both of their faces. Gloria nodded once again, craning her head up to press a kiss against Bea's cheek.   
  
  


_Where do I start...?_


	25. Coping Mechanisms: Part 3

Gloria propped herself up against the backboard, letting the sheets fall from her body. She brought her index finger to her temple as she digested Bea’s inquiries. She glanced down at Bea, whose eyes were wide in anticipation. She couldn’t help but smile as she saw her struggling to figure out where to look, her cheeks beginning to get rosey.

She let out a sigh.

”Okay, so firstly,” she leaned on her elbow and turned to face Bea, “I don’t mind spending time with Allister— but I’m not gonna play favorites with the challenge. I don't want to give anyone the impression that certain individuals have an advantage over others... BUT... I’ll give him some pointers here and there if you’ll let me take him out to the wild area for training. You can come too,” she leaned down and planted a kiss on Bea’s forehead, “I certainly don’t mind...”   
  


“Yes! Thank you!” Gloria was suddenly yanked down into a tight hug as Bea’s tan arms wrapped around her neck. Her face squished against her chest.

_Mmmm... soft..._

Gloria delicately wrapped her arms around Bea, squeezing gently. She did her best to avoid thinking about the searing pain in her muscles as she melted into the embrace. Her lashes brushed against Bea’s skin as she attempted to bring her gaze upward.

_I wonder if she felt that..._

”H-hey, I’m not done!” Gloria attempted to wriggle free from Bea’s embrace as she suddenly remembered the other questions she needed to address. She readjusted herself and looked up to Bea, her face beaming with happiness. “As for _this_ , no this doesn’t count as a date, so I still owe you...” her fingers scrunched at the sheets deftly as she averted her gaze. “I feel a little bad... I should’ve at least taken you out first!” Gloria sheepishly smiled as Bea gestured with her hands.

”Well don’t worry about it! I’m not going to complain...” Bea’s face started to glow bright red. She brought the sheet up to cover her chest, her legs crossing as she sat up. Gloria crawled out from beneath the sheets and kneeled in front of her, placing one of her hands on top of Bea’s knee. Bea’s eyes widened once again, she attempted to hide under the sheet. “Uhh haha...”

”So let me take you out? Tonight?”

-•-

Marnie was in a crumpled heap in Piers's arms sobbing. Piers was crying too.

_Oh my gosh... How am I the responsible one here???_

Nessa pried the whiskey bottle from Piers's pale hands as he hugged Marnie, incoherent slurs stringing from them both. She grimaced at the carnage on the couch.  
  


"P-Piers— I really fuuhuhucked everything uhuhup this tiiiime—" Marnie's cheeks, nose, and ears glowed a bright red. Piers's hands shot out to cup Marnie's face, he tried his best to compose himself between his own stifled sobs. 

"No M-Marn— _NO_ — w-we can fix this—" his voice wavered as he drunkenly mashed Marnie's face, "it _true love_ sis, you jus'— you jus' gotta remember whatchja did in tha firs' place ta m-make her fall fer ya..." he continued to relentlessly squish his younger sister's face as she continued to sob. 

_That's actually not a bad idea!_

"But I'm— I'm—" Marnie's voice fractured between her ragged breaths, Piers watched expectantly. A new wave of tears poured from her eyes, "I'm not goohohood enough f-for h-herrr. It's i-impossible t-to love m-meeee!"

"Nnnnnnno!" Piers shook his head with comical vehemence. "Nnnnooo way sis. _I_ love you. _I love you so mush. I love ya so mush lil sis"_

Marnie grabbed her brother's face, her eyes widening. "No way P-Piers, I love _YOU_ so much. _You're my hero."_

Nessa rolled up her sleeves and kneeled in front of the both of them, clearing her throat to get their attention. They froze, tears dripping from both of their chins, both of their hands mashing each other's faces. They turned to look at them. Nessa cringed. "Oh my god just stop, Piers actually had a really good idea earlier..." They both dropped their hands, Piers pointing to himself with a shocked expression, Marnie doing the same. "Yeah, _you_ Piers!" Nessa's voice was laced with sarcastic cheer as she nodded. "He's got a point— Marnie, think back to when you and Gloria first fell in love—" Marnie nodded enthusiastically, "What was it about you back then that made her want to date you?"

Marnie stuck out her tongue and pointed to her piercing, " _thith_ ," her drunken eyes crossed as she looked down, tapping the smooth piercing with her finger as she stifled a laugh. Piers burst out laughing, giving his sister a playful shove, Nessa just rolled her eyes.

"Seriously? At this rate, you two are never getting back together—" Nessa reached out and grabbed Marnie's ear and tugged firmly, "Sober up and _think_ dammit!" She pulled her head back and forth as if she were stirring up Marnie's meaningful though process. Marnie closed her eyes, wincing as she got pushed and pulled, back and forth. Nessa though she saw a green hue rise from Marnie's neck. 

"Uh-oh."

"Hold it baby, hold it!" Nessa heaved Marnie up, slinging her arm around her shoulder as she led her to the kitchen sink, trying her best not to gag at Marnie's violent wretches beside her. Marnie's hands slapped down on the counter, Nessa's hands gently held her pigtails back as Marnie let loose in the sink. Nessa craned her neck and turned around to see Piers staggering his way to the kitchen, swaying left and right as he deftly reached for the nearest wall. "Oh my go— _NO—_ _NOT YOU TOO—"_

Piers held up his hands as he leaned himself against the wall, swallowing hard and letting out a sickly, "Guhhhh... 'm fine..."

Marnie's body shuddered as Nessa grabbed a paper towel and cupped her face, wiping the corners of her mouth. She snapped her fingers at Piers commandingly, pointing aggressively at him. " _Water. Now._ Chop chop, Piers." He nodded and sloppily opened up the cupboard. Nessa once again slung Marnie's arm around her shoulder, bracing her other hand at her waist as she led her back to the couch, laying her down gingerly. She brushed her fingertips across her forehead gently as she furrowed her brow. 

_This isn't the way... This isn't Marnie..._

She felt water drip on her shoulder as Piers sloppily offered the glass to her. She took it and gently lifted Marnie's chin, her lips parting as she carefully poured a small stream of water into her mouth. Marnie swallowed hard, closing her eyes in a haze, her chest starting to rise and fall more evenly. 

"Thanks... Gloria... I love you..."

Nessa's heart squeezed in her chest as Marnie sunk into the couch in drunken defeat. Piers kneeled down next to her, his expression holding the same sadness. He reached out and caressed her cheek. His cold, sad gaze met Nessa's.

"Thank you."

"You know better, Piers. Hell— _I_ know better. I should've stopped this before she got like this..."

"No..." Piers's voice dropped to a mumble, "I shoulda been better... It's just... This is how we usually do things..." He wobbled backward on his butt, leaning on Nessa's shoulder. "I don't know how else to... I just want to fix it... But I don't know how..."

Nessa sighed, bringing her hand up to pat Piers's stubbly cheek. She felt a tear roll down onto her fingers. She frowned.

"Me either... Boils down to her, Piers..."

They sat together and watched Marnie sleep.

-•-

The world spiraled around Marnie as vomit shot from her mouth. 

_Shite. This is bad._

Little else was going on in her brain when the retching stopped, save it be for her basic need for water, her hunger for a cigarette, and the seductive pull of sleep. She felt a gentle swipe across her mouth, _Nessa_ , she thought as she staggered backwards. She suddenly felt herself get heaved forward, and before she knew it, she was horizontal. The yellow, drab light of the living room ceiling fan burned her retinas. Everyone's voice was muffled into nothingness as she was left with her swirling, unstable consciousness. A single sentence rang in her brain.

_"What was it about you back then that made her want to date you?"_

_Nothing. It was all her. I just was along for the ride... I was wrong..._

"Gloria... I love you..."

The whirlpool of reality turned black. Marnie fell asleep.

•

•

•

•

•

•

She opened her eyes, expecting to see her brother and Nessa, but was instead suddenly back in the foyer of the Ballonlea gym, Gloria's figure standing in front of her. 

_What?  
_

"Sorry! I didn't mean to bump into—" Gloria's eyes rose from the ground, rising up to meet Marnie's eyes. She felt an electric stun rock her body when their eyes connected, "— _you..."_ Marnie couldn't help but look at her lips, which were parted as Gloria's breath caught. She could feel a blush heat up her face involuntarily.

_Not now Marnie, toughen up! Gotta be—_

Morpeko suddenly scampered from between Marnie's legs, climbing up Gloria's thigh as he made his way up to Gloria's shoulder, nibbling and licking at her ear and cheek excitedly. Marnie's hand shot out to retrieve her partner but stopped midway through as the melodious sound of Gloria's giggle rang through the quiet foyer. Her smile made her heart melt. "O-Oh— so sorry!" Morpeko had jumped into Gloria's arms, she hugged him affectionately as she took another step toward Marnie. She could barely hear anything over the thud of her heartbeat. 

"It's no problem, this guy is a _cutie—"_ she held morpeko out in front of her to get a better view of him. She lowered him slightly to reconnect her gaze with Marnie, "—just like his trainer!" She ended her sentence with a wink as she handed morpeko back to Marnie, their hands briefly touching as they made the handoff. This time, Gloria started to blush. 

"Gloria, right?" Marnie's voice returned to its typical, cool, composed timbre as she determinedly held the beautiful girls' gaze.   
  


"You got it, _Marnie."_

_She knows my name! She knows my na—_

Gloria took yet another step closer, her face mere inches away from hers as she stood on her tiptoes, "You're famous you know— and now that I'm seeing you this close— I _totally_ get why..." Marnie swallowed hard as her eyes darted down to Gloria's lips. She felt herself space out, "I tell you what—" Marnie's eyes darted back up, "—I win this next badge, you have breakfast with me?"

_What am I feeling? What are these— should I? Why am I so_ _nervous...?  
_

_I can't let my rival psych me out. Step up._

Marnie's face steeled as she took a deep breath in, stepping backward and offering her hand to Gloria. Gloria's hand felt soft as she firmly grasped and shook it. 

"Deal."

•

•

•

•

•

•

Marnie was suddenly sucked backwards into a black void as Ballonlea was wiped into nothingness, she felt the wind whip her dress and jacket as her butt forcefully landed in a small cafe in Circester. She had her eyes clamped shut. She cautiously opened them.

"Marnie? You oka— SHOOT!"

Burning heat splashed onto her legs, steaming immediately off of her dress and skin. Marnie shot herself backward in her chair, standing up as the hot coffee streamed down her leg in painful rivulets. Marnie didn't dare let out any sort of sign that she was in pain, instead cooly reaching for a napkin and gingerly patting her dress. She suddenly saw a second set of hands, slightly tanner than herself pat away at her legs.

"Gloria?"  
  


"Marnie—I am SO sorry, this must hurt so bad—" she blotted gently with one hand, holding her leg with her other. Her puppy dog eyes shot up to Marnie's in concern, her cute brow furrowed as she continued to pat her dry. Her hands felt warm against her legs. "—does it?"

"Does what?"

"Does it hurt?"

"No—I mean— don't worry about it Gloria, it's okay!" Marnie broke character as she let nerves penetrate her voice, her hands gesturing at Gloria so she'd calm down. She felt a jolt of electricity once again shoot throughout her body as she felt Gloria's lips press chastely against her thigh. Her hand shot down to Gloria's head, grabbing onto her beret as a mad blush flooded from her cheeks down to the tops of her shoulders. "Wait— _Gloria—_ What're y—"

Gloria gingerly brushed her thumb over the spot she kissed and looked back up to Marnie. "Did you hate it...?" 

Marnie brought her other hand to her cheek, trying to hide her expression from the other patrons as Gloria stood back up. She paused, looking her in the eye. 

"N-no. Not at all..."

Gloria smiled. 

•

•

•

•

•

•

The floor beneath Marnie suddenly opened like a trapdoor, her body hurtling through the space of her mind. Articles of clothing peeled off of her, Marnie's eyes widened as she reached out for them. She panicked as they dissolved into the void. She shut her eyes hard once again, feeling herself land gently into a bed, kneeling in just her bra and underwear. She felt a warm hand cup her cheek, she timidly opened her eyes. 

"Are you scared?" Gloria's heavy lidded gaze was once again before Marnie, this time accentuated by the warm reds and browns of the budew drop inn. Marnie's pulse throbbed in her throat as she scanned Gloria up and down, taking in the half naked beauty of her body. Marnie shook her head and reached her own hand out to caress Gloria's cheek, crawling forward boldly as she closed the distance between the two. 

"...Are you?" Marnie paused, her lips brushing gently against Gloria's. She heard her swallow hard.

Marnie felt Gloria shiver in her arms as their bodies touched, her tongue gliding over Gloria's passionately. She hummed against her lips in satisfaction. The kiss deepened, Marnie pried herself away. The silence was punctuated rhythmically by Gloria's huffs as Marnie looked down at her hungrily.

"Good. _You're mine..."_


	26. Coping Mechanisms: Part 3.5

Marnie groaned and stirred in the couch, Nessa and Piers’s hands reached simultaneously out to comfort her. Piers stopped midway and let Nessa brush her cheek. He looked down at his hands, doing his best to shake off the wavy nausea he was battling.

_I’m just one big fuck up, aren’t I. What a drag..._

His inner voice seemed far off. Nessa sighed and turned her gaze toward him. The sun had set, the soft neon lights bled through the window and painted his sullen, pale face.

”What’re you doing back, then...?”

Piers struggled to maintain eye contact.

”I can’t go back out Nessa. I can’t do it anymore...” he let out a sigh, “I’m just... not cut out for any of this. I thought I was doing what I wanted, it just never felt...” he cleared his throat as he struggled to find the words, “... right.” He turned his gaze down to his sister, fixating on her face. “I’ve already gone and missed out on too much.” He stood up, offering his hand to Nessa.   
  


“Geez, you’re so cold...” she let out a small grunt as he hoisted her up. He wobbled a bit as they walked to the kitchen table.

”She never told me.” Piers slumped into the heavily worn wooden chair and pulled out his lighter. He flicked at the flint with his thumb and watched the sparks fly in a trance. “She never told me anything. She never felt like she could talk to me...” he jerked his wrist to extinguish the small flame, Nessa flinched at the metallic clank.   
  


“Piers...”

”I’m supposed to be there for her, Nessa. It’s just us. I was off fuckin’ about and living a daydream while she carried Spikemuth on her back.” His eyes narrowed as he flipped the top of the lighter open once again and reignited the flame. It let out a sizzle as he watched.

”I left her alone. And now she’s dealing with this... I fucked up as a brother...” the flame illuminated his face from below as he broke out of his trance, his sunken, piercing green eyes snapping up to Nessa’s. She scooted closer and reached out her hand.

”That’s not true, Piers.” Her hand cradled his, they held the small flame together. “You’re her hero. That’ll never change—“ Piers opened his mouth to interject but Nessa squeezed his hand firmly, “— plus— _you weren’t happy here._ ” She licked the thumb and pointer finger of her free hand and smothered the wick of the lighter. A faint sizzle crackled as she stood up and walked to the sink, un-fastening the faucet nozzle to begin cleaning it out. “It’s unfair to you if you’re gonna just keep pigeon holing yourself as Marnie’s end-all-be-all,” flecks of water splashed on her jeans as she spoke, the sink drain guzzling down the sick, “have you ever thought that maybe Marnie didn’t tell you so you didn’t have to worry?” She paused and looked over to Piers’s glum face.   
  


Silence save the steady flow of tap water filled the small brownstone. Marnie turned to her side in her sleep. Piers spaced out into the distance until the faucet handle squeaked. The tap rhythmically dripped against the tin sink.   
  


“Do you really think that?” Piers turned his body to face Nessa as she took her seat at the kitchen table once more. She nodded silently. “I still could’ve done a better job at telling her I love her... no matter what...” he crossed his leg and tossed the lighter on the table, “it wasn’t a big secret to me... she never put a pillow behind her backboard...” he cringed and Nessa let out a small giggle. She leaned forward and grabbed his hand once again.   
  


“It’s not too late, Piers,” she glanced at Marnie’s silhouette, “I’m serious— you’re actually her hero. Just— maybe take some time to help her out. You two can kick some of these—“ she stood up and grabbed the tattered pack of cigarettes up from the counter and waved it with a grimace on her face, “— bad habits together. How bout you teach her to _face_ her problems head-on instead of running away...” she stepped on the paddle of the trash can to open it up and tossed the pack in. The lid came to a thud as she leaned on the kitchen table, pointing firmly at a sheepish Piers. “Which means you can stay for a day or two— but you have to lead by example. Whatever’s keeping you from going back on tour? You gotta face it, buddy. You need to get back out there before you get too comfortable here...” she pushed against the edge of the table and began to walk back to the couch, checking in on Marnie.

Piers let out a long sigh as his fingertips tapped on the table. He weighed his options, glancing at the trash can, then to the cupboard above his sink. He closed his eyes for a moment. He opened them and stood up, walking to the couch to join Nessa. He gently placed his hand on her shoulder and crouched down next to her.

” _You’re right._ ”

He gingerly wiggled one arm beneath Marnie’s knees while the other cradled just below her neck. He heaved himself upward, cradling her petit frame in his arms as he jerked his head toward the stairs. Nessa nodded. Nessa flicked on the stairwell light as they made their way up to her room, Piers kicking away stray clothes with his feet. Nessa lifted the covers of her bed and Piers laid her down, pausing for a moment to brush her bangs out of her face. Marnie let out a small mumble in her sleep.

”I’ll stay with her till morning...”

”I’ll go clean up downstairs...” 

“...”

”...”

Piers’s silhouette hung in Marnie’s door way, his fingers tracing her door. He smiled weakly. 

”Thanks Nessa...”

He shut the door behind him. The neon lights bled through Marnie’s shutters and illuminated the heart carved in her door.

Nessa crawled next to Marnie, turning her on her side and nestling a pillow beneath her back. She sighed.

She heard the faint noise of bottles being opened and poured in the sink from downstairs.   
  


She dozed off with a smile on her face.

-•-

“ _Deadass.”_

Bea nodded, pointing to the stack of eclairs presented neatly in the cozy display case of her favorite bakery.

”I don’t believe you...” Gloria chided as she leaned down, bracing her hands against her knees. “Prove it? You finish this off, all four of em, I’ll drop the whole playing favorites thing and take Allister on as my protege.” A wry smile spread across Gloria’s face as she eyed Bea, nudging her with her elbow as the gears turned.   
  


Bea straightened up and offered her hand to Gloria, who winced at the firmness of her handshake, “Deal.” She turned to the man behind the counter, who gave Bea a wink, “We’ll take ‘em!”   
  


“Comin’ right up Jelly Bean!” He enthusiastically placed them into a brown paper bag, the parchment paper crinkling beneath his fingertips as the eclairs found their new home. He neatly folded the mouth of the bag, handing them to Bea as she reached for her pocket.

”No way, _Jelly Beaaaaan,_ ” Gloria’s voice was teasing, a blush once again spread on Bea’s tan face, “I got this!” Gloria’s wink sent tremors throughout Bea’s circulatory system as she begrudgingly took her seat. Her legs crossed as she scooted her seat in, her foot kicking up and down in anticipation as Gloria approached her. “So Bea,” she pushed the bag over to Bea who was eyeing it with excitement, “asides from sweets, what else are you into? Painfully straight posture? Karate-chopping haters?” She leaned in as Bea’s fingers unraveled the opening of the bag, “ _Overworking your clients till they fall madly in love with you?”_ She playfully reached her foot out and rubbed Bea’s shin, reveling in Bea’s nervous expression and deep blush. She couldn’t help but giggle.

Bea cautiously tore off the end of her eclair and paused, “well I mean,” she popped it into her mouth and looked at the ceiling, closing her eyes and smiling. She swallowed, “Mmm...” Gloria giggled again and Bea continued to let herself smile. “I’m a really simple person I guess? The posture was sort of... force of habit, and I actually never enjoyed martial arts so much until very recently—“ her voice was nonchalant. She brought the whole eclair out of the bag tearing off another piece and offering it to Gloria, whose jaw dropped.   
  


“Wait— what??” Gloria took the piece of the eclair from Bea’s fingers in disbelief, “I thought you were like a child prodigy? Didn’t you like, famously never lose? What do you mean you didn’t enjoy it?”   
  


Bea was mid-chew and shrugged her shoulders inconsequentially. She swallowed again, “I didn’t like my teacher.” She shrugged again and gave Gloria ‘and-that’s-that’ expression as she looked down at her eclair, ripping off another bite, “I’ll tell you about the—“ she paused, searching for the words to say,”— wow I can honestly only describe him as an asshole— and I don’t like to swear really... I’ll tell you about him one day!” Bea’s bright tone of voice caught Gloria off guard as she popped the pastry in her mouth. Gloria furrowed her brow.

”But you enjoy it now, you say?” Gloria shook off her bewilderment as she fumbled with her piece of the eclair.   
  


_That’s so weird that she hated it... that’s like me saying I hate being a trainer..._

Bea nodded, uncrossing her legs and holding the last bite of the first eclair, “Yup!” Her eyes met Gloria’s, who still looked shaken by the news. “Well, I started doing it for my own reasons,” her foot brushed against Gloria’s as she scooted closer, “I started teaching when I first got custody of Allie— it was my first year as a gym leader and I wanted to make sure you know—“ she popped the last bite into her mouth and gestured to her stomach, swallowing quickly, “— food and basic needs stuff. Once Allie became my motivation for things...” she trailed off and reached her hands down to her waistband. Gloria leaned over the table, reaching her hand to Bea’s face. Her thumb swiped gently at the corner of her mouth, her eyes meeting hers kindly.

_Now THIS makes sense..._

Gloria gently tapped at Bea’s chin, her mouth opening as she licked off the cream. Gloria’s heart pounded at the soft warmth of Bea’s tongue. Bea gave her another smile and held her hand to her face.

“Honestly, if I’m being completely transparent,” Gloria melted at the sight of Bea’s baby face nuzzling against her hand before returning it back to her, “I don’t think I started living life— like _real_ life until about four years ago, when Allie and I went out on our own.” Gloria couldn’t help but smile as Bea’s hands returned to the brown bag.

”Hmmm...” Gloria kicked both feet out and crossed her angles around one of Bea’s legs, still holding the bite of the eclair she offered her earlier. Bea cleared her throat, sliding another eclair out.

”As for _you,_ ” she peeked beneath the table at Gloria’s feet and blushed, “I never in a million years pictured myself in this situation...” 

Gloria’s eyebrow cocked up. “Oh? What do you mean by that?” She switched the piece of eclair from her left hand to her right as she gazed into Bea’s nervous eyes.

Bea let out an exasperated huff and averted her gaze, “Psh, I thought all my chances with you washed away when I told your Gyarados to water the plants and got all your stuff wet... the mud was up to our ne—“ 

“Oh my gosh! Yes I remember!” Gloria slapped her free hand on the table as Bea let out an anguished groan and sunk in her chair. “Oh my— _it all makes sense now!_ You literally fainted from a hug. You fainted from a hug—“ she put the bite of eclair on top of a napkin and reached her hands out to Bea’s face, pinching her cheeks, “— you’re SO CUTE.”   
  


“Hnngngnngg...”

”So you’ve liked me since then? For _that long_??” Gloria let go of Bea’s face and reached back to hold the bite of the eclair, beaming brightly as Bea buried her red face in her hands and continued to groan. “Oh my gosh. Milo? Didn’t you date him??”   
  


“Nnnoooo no more...” Bea continued to sink lower and lower in her chair. Gloria gasped. She scooted her chair to be extremely close to Bea and leaned toward her ear, bringing her voice down to a whisper.

” _Does that mean— have you ‘done it’ with anyone else??”_

Bea’s face was practically steaming in her hands as she kicked her feet out, pushing herself away from the table and standing up. She heard a snicker from behind the counter and shot a death glare his way. She turned her panicked gaze towards Gloria and backed away. ”You know what! I think you’re right! Can’t finish this! I should probably leave and never show my face aga—“ Gloria stood up too, waving her hands in front of Bea to calm her down.

”Hey, _hey, shhhh_ —“ she reached her hand out, grabbing the singular bite of eclair, bringing it to Bea’s lips. She begrudgingly opened her mouth, Gloria’s free hand affectionately coming up to rub her arm, “let’s get out of here? I’ll stop prying...” she gave her a reassuring smile as Bea started to chew cautiously, “... even though I think you’re so cute when you blush!” She winked, making Bea smile reluctantly.   
  


Bea grabbed the bag with one hand, and was led out of the bakery by Gloria, whose hand was laced with hers.   
  


The door jingled when it opened and the two stepped out into the moonwashed town together.


	27. Coping Mechanisms: Part 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We made it to 69 kudos— 
> 
> Nice.
> 
> I love you guys!
> 
> Also, ps, shorter chapter today. I just couldn’t wait to get to the next part!

The two girls had walked with each other for a while, Gloria gradually chipping away at the complex layers of Bea’s personality, Bea patiently answering and navigating each question carefully.

  
"... Ooo and one more..." Gloria held Bea's hand gently as her small frame walked on the same ledge that Allister balanced on just a few nights earlier, "... why _do_ you love sweets so much...?" Bea paused, lacing her fingers delicately with Gloria’s. She crouched down, sitting down at the ledge to be closer to Gloria. She pulled her in close.   
  


“Can I show you something?” Her voice was quiet and sincere, catching Gloria off guard. Her eyes were penetrating as she pulled her in closer to the ledge. “I think I can answer most of your questions better this way...” She gently let go of her hand.

”Sure...” Gloria was mesmerized by Bea, snapping back to reality at the thud of her shoes hitting the sandstone in front of her. She turned around and beckoned with her index finger and shot Gloria a sweet smile.

_I think I’m in real trouble..._

The two reached a fork in the path— one leading to Bea and Allister’s home, the other leading somewhere Gloria hadn’t been before. The trees started to get taller, imposing inky shadows, obstructing the silver sheen of the moon and stars. Gloria shuddered.

”Hey so,” she rushed her pace to walk beside Bea, “this isn’t one of those like situations where you take me on a haunted trail and my soul gets eaten by a dusknoir, right?” Bea paused, cradling the brown bag of eclairs with one hand, and offering her elbow to Gloria. She had a big shit eating grin on her face.

”Is the great champion of Galar afraid of the dark?” She chided, wiggling her elbow till Gloria caught on. “Don’t worry, I know this place like the back of my hand, plus—” she turned to look at Gloria, changing the tone of her voice, 

“ _I’ve got you_...”

_There she goes again..._

Gloria felt a raging blush burn from her head to her neck as she squeezed Bea’s arm, melting at the firm strength beneath her fingertips. She started to walk a little closer.

”So,” Bea kicked a twig out of her way, “back to your _many_ questions,” she looked up at the canopy of leaves and branches dreamily, “Yes, Allie and are a related— same dad, different moms.” She reopened the bag a wriggled an eclair to the top, ripping off another bite as the two walked down the eerie path. “My mom left when I was two,” she turned her gaze down solemnly, “and Allie’s mom— she passed seven-ish years ago. For a while it was just the three of us...” her voice trailed off as she popped a bite into her mouth.

Gloria’s brow furrowed, she gave Bea’s arm a tight squeeze as the wooded path became darker and darker. Bea didn’t look afraid. “I’m... so sorry...” they paused briefly as they connected their eyes, letting the brushing of the leaves fill the silence between the two. Bea cleared her throat awkwardly.

”Aaaaanyways—“ her eyebrows lifted, her voice breathing new life into the conversation, “people thought for the longest time when I first took over the gym that I was a teen mom—“ she let out a small laugh, Gloria felt the awkwardness slowly dissipate into the darkness, “—can you believe that? Like— legitimately no one thought to just ask me, it’s not a huge secret or anything...” the path was suddenly obstructed by a gate, Bea handed the bag to Gloria as she fished in her pockets. “You ever have any trouble with the media?”   
  


Gloria watched curiously as Bea brought out her keys, flipping through the various sets on her ring. “Mmm, well kind of?” She shifted the bag in her arms, “I mean it was weird— the whole darkest day thing that happened during the finals, but Hop ended up getting it worse than I did...” she scuffed her shoe in the dirt making a semi-circle. Her eyes perked up as she heard the padlock of the gate click open, Bea yanking down the base. The gate squeaked open eerily. She hung the padlock on one of the links of the fence and held out her hand. “You know— I did see a story on us recently—“ Gloria’s eyes shot down.

Bea grabbed her hand, lacing her fingers with hers once more, gliding her thumb over Gloria’s knuckle. Her train of thought stopped as Bea brought her hand to her lips, pressing a kiss softly on the back of her hand. Rods of moonbeams punctured the trees and illuminated her face in fragments, catching the silver of her eyes as she looked intently at Gloria.   
  


“Yeah I saw that too...” she continued to walk forward, maintaining her eye contact with Gloria, cocking her head to the side inquisitively “Did it... bother you...?” Gloria thanked her luck for the shadows, more blushes flooded her cheeks. She laughed awkwardly as Bea gave her a quick squeeze and locked her gaze forward.

”Well...” 

_No... it didn’t... because it was t—_

”Here we are!” Bea pointed to a massive residence, fit for royalty. The sloped, curved eaves of the roof were reminiscent of a pagoda, the facade of the home ornamented with ornate statues and lanterns. Bea let go of Gloria’s hand and walked up to the front, unlatching the lock and sliding the door open. She beckoned the speechless Gloria over to her once again.

”Bea...” her voice carried off dreamily into the thicket that surrounded the home, “...what _is_ this place...?” She walked inside, flinching as she heard Bea flick on the lights.

”Welp—“ Bea clapped her hands together, bowing to Gloria politely, then holding out her hand, “This is where I grew up! Wanna check it out...?”

Gloria glanced at her hands, opting to place the brown bag on the floor gently. She paused and stared at Bea’s hand, her fingers wiggled cutely to coax her. She looked up at Bea’s face and smiled.

”Sure, as long as you’ve got me...” 

-•-

Gloria let out a whimper, sheets swirling around their bodies. Her hand reached up and tangled with Marnie’s jet black hair. Marnie bowed her head down, kissing Gloria’s jaw, dropping down to her neck. Her pulse throbbed against her lips.  
  


“ _I’m yours...”_

No sooner had Marnie’s lips connected with Gloria’s neck did she once again find herself hurtling through the void of her mind. The bed disappeared from beneath her and she was engulfed by a thick blanket of darkness, her clothes materializing back onto her. She fell hard into a luxurious, velvety chair. She looked around frantically at her new surroundings, panicking as she pieced together the details of the room.   
  


_Rose’s office.  
_

She whipped her head to look behind her, the mahogany door creaking open, shining spats peeking from the doorway. She quickly turned back around to face forward, an imposing desk seemed to tower before her. She swallowed hard.

_Not this. I don’t want this. I don’t want to remember thi—_

A dreamy, breathy sigh rang through the office behind her. “Marnie...” the rich clack of Rose’s heel stabbed through her eardrums, “Marnie, Marnie, Marnie...” she felt a ringed hand touch her shoulder, she felt the warmth of Rose’s face beside her cheek. His hand squeezed, “you know why you’re here, right...?” Marnie shuddered. A manilla folder plopped onto the desk in front of her as Rose’s short figure sauntered in front of her. He leaned against the desk and twirled his hair. “Wanna take a look inside that folder?” His voice was saccharine, Marnie’s eyes narrowed. Her pale hand wavered the slightest bit as she reached for the folder slowly. Her heart began to pound. She shut her eyes.

Hard.

_*THOK*_

“Ow! Fuck!” Marnie’s hand shot up to the top of her head, she opened one of her eyes.

”Watch where your hands grab, perv!” Nessa knocked her knuckle against Marnie’s head once again, scooting away from her in bed. “Jeez, you could buy me dinner first at least...” 

“Fuck, Nessa, sorry—“ she opened her eyes and sat up in her own bed. She looked around the room. “Am I dreaming?” She looked back at Nessa who crossed her arms.

”If you were, you’d probably get to finally live out your fantasy of gettin’ all grabby with me so—“ she leaned forward and stuck her chin out, “ _No._ You’re probably still drunk though. You junior alcoholic, jeez you scared Piers and I...” Marnie’s hands reached up to undo the ribbons of her pigtails, she swung her legs over the side of the bed. Her room spun a bit as she negotiated the hair bands from her head.   
  


_Ughhhh, am I dead? Is this what death feels like? Fuck I got so out of control, I barely remember anything..._

Marnie ran her fingers through her hair, ruffling it a bit before laying back down, resting her head on Nessa’s lap. “Have you been with me this whole time...?” The neon lights reflected off of her irises as she looked up to Nessa. She closed her eyes as Nessa’s hand gently brushed over her hair.

”Yes...” she let out a small laugh as she continued to pet Marnie, “didn’t want you to puke on the couch, so Piers and I took you upstairs to potentially puke—“ she lifted her hand and gestured grandly to Marnie’s room, “— _here.”_ Marnie let out an uncharacteristic giggle as Nessa’s hand returned back to her head. She let out a sigh.

”Nessa?”   
  


“Yeah?”

”I want to fix this thing between Gloria and I, I really do...”

”Okay, what’s new...?”

Marnie propped herself up on her elbow, reaching her hand up to grab Nessa’s. She held her gaze intently. “Nessa,” Marnie took a deep, shuddering breath in as she squeezed her hand, “I have to tell you something.”   
  


Nessa knit her brow and sat up a little straighter.

”I lied to Gloria.”   
  


“...”

”For years.”

Nessa’s lips parted in confusion, her eyes narrowing as she pried her hand away from Marnie.

”What? What are you talking about? What’s going on?”   
  


Anguish plagued Marnie’s face, tears welling up once again as she brought her hand back close to her heart.

”Do you remember the darkest day...?”


	28. Interlude: The Darkest Day (part 1)

_TWO YEARS EARLIER: AT THE FINAL MATCH OF THE GYM CHALLENGE._

The Wyndon Stadium visitor's locker room rang with stifled giggles. Around the corner of the farthest row of lockers, Gloria’s back was forcefully pushed up against the wall. Marnie’s hands landed on either side of Gloria’s head, her eyes locking intensely with hers.

”Y’know,” Marnie’s head bowed down closely, her lips brushing against Gloria’s ear. Gloria’s hands wrapped gently around her neck, “I really thought I was gonna give you a run for your money this time around...” she leaned in and nibbled on Gloria’s earlobe. Gloria’s fingertips caressed Marnie’s neck as she let out a giggle.

”I feel like I should feel more sorry but—“ her breath caught in her throat as Marnie’s lips found their way to her neck, “—oh gosh— I mean—“ Marnie’s lips created a firm vacuum against her neck, the sensation sending tremors through Gloria’s body. Her hand braced the back of Marnie’s head desperately as her even breaths turned to ragged and uneven pants. “ _Marnie—_ “ 

Marnie’s mouth made a pop as she broke away from Gloria’s soft neck. Her heavy lidded gaze met Gloria’s madly blushing face. She gave Gloria a naughty smirk as she put her finger beneath her chin. “I figured as much... so I’m gonna make sure your win against me wasn’t for nothin’...” she leaned in dangerously close to Gloria, her free hand grabbing her waist firmly, “I’m gonna give you a good luck charm for your next match...” her lips locked with Gloria’s, waves of passion ebbing and flowing as they kissed. Marnie’s pulse throbbed in her head as she felt Gloria’s tongue slide across her bottom lip, begging for the touch of Marnie’s tongue. The two moaned simultaneously as they deepened the kiss, melting into each other as Marnie’s grip on Gloria tightened.   
  


The industrial clack of the door of the locker room opening made their eyes shoot open. They broke their kiss hastily, their breaths broken into huffs as Gloria’s hands frantically cupped Marnie’s cheeks.   
  


“ _Shit. Marnie—“_ her voice was hushed, “ _You’re not supposed to be in he—“_

”Miss Gloria? Miss Gloria? Your match begins shortly! Are you there?”   
  


Footsteps got nearer and nearer as Marnie’s eyes darted around.   
  


_Shite. No closets, no nothing. Ummm—_

Her eyes darted down to her shoes— the pointed heels not optimal for stealth. She broke away from Gloria and quickly slid them off, holding them close as she tiptoed around the corner. She peeked cautiously behind a locker to see a uniformed gym staffer making his way to Gloria’s chosen spot. She felt beads of sweat form on her forehead as she slunk around the locker, edging little by little out of the staffer’s direct field of view.   
  


“There you are! Leon has informed the league reps that he’s ready for the battle. You’re welcome to the pitch whenever you’re ready, miss.”   
  


“Wow! Thank you so much for letting me know!” Gloria’s voice wavered nervously, Marnie poked her head silently around the corner and gave her a thumbs up. Gloria’s eyes darted wildly as she tried to keep her composure. “Um, you can t-tell the chairman that—“ she discretely jerked her head to signal Marnie to get the hell out, “— I’ll be ready in like, five? Is that cool?”   
  


Marnie saw the staffer raise an eyebrow. The zipper of her jacket accidentally jingled.

”Are you alright miss— is there— hey is someone there?”   
  


Marnie stealthily whipped her head back around to the other side of the locker, her eyes widening with panic.

_Damn it! Why do I have to be such a cheeky bastard all the time..._

She inched her way backwards as she heard a shuffling of footsteps.

”What? What do you mean— haha— it’s just you and m-me—“ Gloria’s tone of voice continued to waver, Marnie held her breath as she turned the corner around the opposite end of the row of lockers. She heard the staffer’s uniform rustle as if he were peeking around the edge. Marnie’s heartbeat quickened.

  
For a moment, there was silence.

”Huh... must be hearing things... anyways, I’ll inform the chairman and the rest of the board that you’ll be ready soon. Good luck, miss!” Marnie continued to hold her breath till she heard the door click shut. She tiptoed behind Gloria, pinching her waist, she let out a girly yelp.

”Marnie! _Arceus_ that was _close!_ ” She turned around and wrapped her arms around Marnie once again. Marnie grinned, nestling her head down in the crook or Gloria’s neck, hearing the pounding of her heart.

”That’s what makes you and me exciting...” she squeezed Gloria tightly, “I know you’ve got to go...” she paused as she held her, letting the simplicity of the embrace cool her nerves. She pulled away and looked at Gloria intensely. “Win. I want you to win today,” her hands cupped Gloria’s face gently, “I _need_ you to win today...” she pressed her lips sweetly against Gloria’s forehead to punctuate the moment. Gloria’s hands met Marnie’s, she returned her gaze unwaveringly.

”I promise. I will.”   
  


Marnie watched Gloria’s silhouette shrink in the tunnel as she walked to the pitch. Complicated feelings of jealousy and pride welled in her throat as she waved to her weakly.

_Should've been me... But..._

Marnie's head hung for a moment, tears welling up in her eyes. She looked up again with resolve. 

_Out of everyone out there... I'm glad it's going to be her._

Her gaze shifted to the exit, her thoughts clearing gradually. She peered through the window of the door, her view slightly obstructed by the wire lattice embedded into the pane. She saw the same staffer from earlier switch his sunglasses with one hand, and hold a cellphone with the other. Marnie crouched down and put her ear to the door, listening hard. 

"... That's right ma'am, everything's in place. The match will continue, I don't believe anyone is in Hammerlocke right now with the power to stop you or the chairman... yes... understood, Oleana..."

_What the hell...?_

Marnie stood back up, flicking the hem of her dress and yanking at the bottom of her jacket to readjust herself. She watched the staffer walk, then run out of the building. Marnie's eyes darted to the locker she used earlier that she had yet to clean out. She walked over to her locker, opening it up to grab her backpack. She unzipped the main pocket, securing her Dynamax band and shuffling through her poke balls. 

_All set._

The door shut loudly behind Marnie as she set off to follow the staffer.

-•-

_Where the hell did that bloke bugger off to..._

Marnie emerged from the hallway that lead to the locker room. She looked left and right, straining her eyes as she surveyed the crowd in the common area for a sign of the mysterious staffer. Her gaze was caught by the glimmer of his sunglasses, which were different from the other staffers. She set on her way, bobbing and weaving through the attendees. She neared the staffer, reaching out her hand and just barely grazing his jacket.

The stadium went black. 

_Shite._

Pandemonium rose as people frantically pushed their way to the portals of the stadium, the sunset light leaking through to guide the panicked crowd. Marnie wriggled her way through the bodies, her eyes locked on her target. She suddenly broke free, gasping into a more open area. The staffer paused in front of a door, scanning the surrounding area before pushing a key into the lock. His eyes met Marnie's glare. He smiled, opened the door, and stepped inside. A millisecond passed, then a deafening boom and tremor rocked the stadium. The eerie creaking of metal and the cracking of concrete soon followed.

_Double shite._

Marnie whipped her head to the pitch, running out to see what the commotion was all about. She fought against the crowd, digging her way to the railing of the central portal. Her eyes widened, a giant, glowing fissure had fractured the pitch directly down the center, Gloria and Leon staggered backward as they processed the situation. She felt a hand yank her arm, tearing her horrified look from the field. Piers pulled her close to him. 

"Marnie, Marnie!" His voice was uncharacteristically frantic, "Marnie, we've got to jet out of here, no—" An aftershock rolled beneath their feet, the stadium walls began to give an industrial groan as the structure wavered. Piers's eyes widened. Marnie and him looked up simultaneously, the giant metal sign that hung above the portal snapped from its fasteners, creaking as it fell down towards them at breakneck speed. Marnie stumbled backward into the railing, Piers's body was forced back by the crowd. The sign slammed onto the concrete, sending sparks flying between the two, creating a barrier.

"PIERS!!"

Marnie strained her ears and heard a muffled scream that sounded like her brother on the other side of the sign. She ran up to it, banging on the sign with her fists, hitting it with all her might. She continued to call her brothers' name to no avail. She looked around her in a panic. 

_TRIPLE SHITE._

Marnie swung the backpack from her shoulder, rustling for the zipper as her body got clipped by frenzied patrons. Her hand grabbed one of her dusk balls, she mashed her eyes closed and made a silent wish as she through it into the air. The ball burst open in a brilliant, purple blast as her grimmsnarl landed in front of her, shielding her from the crowd. She took a moment to scan through the mayhem, her eyes locking on the lower level portal. A lightbulb sprung to light in her brain. She once again dug through her bag, picking out a specific ball, hurling it into the air. She cupped her hands around her mouth. 

"Grimmsnarl!" Her voice pierced through the muddle of screams and yells, the dusk ball bursting open in a flash, "Toxicroak! Get rid of this sign!" The two pokemon looked at each other and nodded in understanding, grimmsnarl visibly bulking up for the task. "Meet me at the front of the stadium!!" Marnie pointed her finger directly forward, as if through the sign. They both cried out as they started grabbing onto either side of the sign. 

_Good gracious, I hope they understood the directions... I need to get to Gloria..._

Marnie turned around, hoisting herself up onto the railing and looking down. The drop wasn't extreme, but still daunting. She paused for a moment, considering the risk of her next move, cautiously psyching herself up for the jump. 

_Lower deck is the only way through, I've got to just—_

Another tremor shook the stadium. Marnie looked behind her, watching her fingertips loose grip of the railing. 

_Uh-oh._

Marnie helplessly wobbled forward, falling directly below her. She landed on her butt, a painful thud shooting up her spine. Her eyes were closed as she braced for impact, but she didn't expect her fall to be broken.

" _Arceus, SHIT_ ," a familiar voice cut through the pain signals shooting through Marnie's brain. "Watch where you're falling!"

She opened her eyes, "Nessa??" looking down to see their bodies crumpled in a painful tangle. She nudged herself off of her body, letting out a groan as she stood up. She shook her head as if to shake off the pain and offered her hand to Nessa. Nessa stood up, clamping down a vice grip on Marnie's hand as Marnie tried to fight her way to the field. She whipped her head back and shot a glare into Nessa's eyes.

"Oh no you don't," Nessa called out as she started to reel Marnie back towards her, "you're coming with me and we're getting the _hell_ outta here." Marnie did her best to fight her way from Nessa's death grip, but to no avail. Her eyes darted in a panic to the field.

"N-no— Nessa— PLEASE," Nessa began to heave Marnie forward from behind as she continued to fight back, " _Nessa—_ We need to go back— Gloria—Leon!!" She dug her heels into the cracked concrete as Nessa continued to struggle against her body weight. She finally felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist. Marnie felt her body go airborne as Nessa picked her up, continuing to push forward.

"They're—" She put one foot in front of the other, squeezing Marnie's flailing body, "Gonna—" she continued to dodge thrashing limbs, "Be—" she bobbed and weaved through the crowd, "FINE." The pair finally broke through the crowd and were making their way down the stairs. They were about halfway down the stairs of the front entrance when Nessa felt the wind get knocked out of her, Marnie's elbow making contact with her abdomen sharply. "OOF—" Her grip on Marnie weakened _just_ enough for her to wriggle free. The two girls tumbled down the steps unceremoniously, landing hard at the base of the steps. Marnie propped herself up on her elbows, preparing to stand back up to go back inside when an obstagoon suddenly burst in front of her and Nessa, blanketing them with an impenetrable purple aura. Marnie looked behind her to see her brother, muddling his way through the crowd and calling her name. 

"MARNIE, GET DO—"

She turned around to offer a hand out to Nessa when an unbearably hot wave of light flashed through the obstagoon's shield, knocking her, Nessa, and the obstagoon backward. The windows of the stadium glowed yellow, red, and orange as smoke billowed from the center of the stadium. Marnie couldn't hear anything else other than the ringing in her ears as Piers hoisted her up to her feet. She felt her heart drop as debris fell from the stadium. Her eyes were wide from horror.

_No._

She soon saw a dubwool followed by a figure come barreling out of the stadium's front doors. _Hop?_ They were soon followed by grimmsnarl and toxicroak, allowing Marnie some piece of mind. Marnie regained her balance and jerked her arms from her brother, running up to meet them. Hop's eyes looked wild as he fumbled with his belt, searching for a poke ball. Another blast of heat singed the tips of their hair, Hop brought his frantic gaze up to Marnie's. Hop's voice was laced with panic. 

"Leon—"

Marnie's eyes shot back to the stadium entrance. "Gloria—" she beckoned her grimmsnarl and toxicroak near her, water began to shoot from behind from the gaping mouth of Nessa's drednaw. She could vaguely hear both Nessa and Piers calling for the two of them to come back down. Marnie scanned the stadium for an entrance as Hop unfastened two poke balls. Marnie looked behind her to see her brother's and Nessa's gaze fixed to the sky. She read their lips.

" _Gloria?"_

_"Leon?"_

Marnie's arm was tugged on by Hop, who was pointing at the sky.

Two figures blasted through the thick clouds of smoke. One dark, shooting reflective sheens of sunset off of it, the other bright orange, with a small flame burning at the tail. Marnie's jaw dropped, the growing crowd surrounding the stadium cheered. 

-•-

Gloria let out a guttural cough as her and Cheep shot their way from the plumes of smoke. She fanned her face and squeezed her legs tightly around Cheep's body, gasping for fresh air, trying to see through her watering, stinging eyes. Cheep swept through the air, circling around the perimeter of the stadium, Gloria squinting her eyes at the undulating crowd beneath her. Her vision strained for the sight of Marnie's leather jacket. A draconic roar broke through her concentration as Leon glided next to her, pointing vigorously downward. Gloria's gaze dropped to where his finger was pointing, her heart skipping a beat. 

Marnie's leather jacket stuck out from the crowd, the metal ornaments glinting in the light. She patted Cheep's side and pointed to her, Leon quickly chasing Cheep's dive-bomb behind her. 

She felt tears of relief well in her smoke-stung eyes as Cheep's talons tore into the front lawn of the stadium, stumbling off as she ran toward her goal. She cupped her hands around her mouth. 

" _MARNIIIIEEEE!"_

For a moment, there was total silence in her brain as their eyes connected.

Gloria kept running.


	29. Feedback?

Would you guys be interested in me adapting this story into a lil yuri graphic novel? Lemme know... or I can just keep writing this, finish it, then adapt it later? I have so much concept art that I wanna finish and clean up/ collab with someone on... just an idea though... idk...


	30. Interlude: Bait ‘n Switch (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys— I got a new job! Which means I have less time 😂 but— I’ll still try to update as much as I can— this chapter is short n sweet!

  
The stench of smoke filled Marnie’s nose as she clutched onto Gloria’s body. Her muscles felt stiff as her fingers dug into her charred competition uniform, tears streaming from her eyes. She squeezed her harder, causing Gloria to wheeze a bit, breaking out into a cough. Marnie forced herself to pull away, Gloria stumbled backward as she hacked weakly into her elbow. Her face was smudged with turf and dirt, her cheek and knees scraped. Marnie’s heart squeezed.  
  


”Shit— Gloria—“ she tentatively reached her hand to her, Gloria’s singed hands wiping away tears from her reddened eyes, “are you alright?” Gloria gave her a stiff nod, batting away her hand gently as her eyes gazed up at the sky. Dark, violet clouds began to swirl over Wyndon as a strong wind whipped her bangs from her face. Her expression was complex. She turned to Leon, walking to him angrily.

Gloria’s fingers clutched the front of his shirt, yanking his towering figure to her eye level. Her eyes burned with rage, the glowing purple of the sky reflecting off of her usually warm irises. Leon struggled to hold her gaze. “You knew.” Gloria hissed through clenched teeth. “You _knew._ ” She let go, shoving him away from her, clicking her tongue to beckon Cheep to her. She caught Hop and Marnie’s gaze, wiping her grimey cheek with her sleeve. “I need to go. I need to fix this...” 

“No way—“ Marnie stepped forward, reaching out once again to Gloria, “do you even know what’s going on?? Where will you go?” Marnie’s hand wrapped firmly around Gloria’s wrist before she could mount Cheep’s back. Gloria shot her a glare, attempting to yank her hand back to her. She paused, looking deep into Marnie’s confused and concerned eyes. For a moment, Marnie thought her face softened. Her eyes quickly shot back over to Leon, who was beckoning his own charizard back to him. He sighed in shame.   
  


“I don’t know Marnie. Why don’t we all ask _Leon.”_

Leon patted charizard’s neck heartily as he approached Gloria. “Look,” he removed his snap back and patted out the ashes, “I didn’t know he’d take it this far...” his golden eyes met Gloria’s, “and I don’t know much— but it _has_ to have something to do with the power plant...” 

Marnie’s head perked up. “Hammerlocke.” She snapped her fingers, approaching Gloria and Leon tentatively. Hop cocked his eyebrow as he made his way over as well. “Gloria—“ she flicked her bangs from her eyes as she turned to face her, “that guy, the staffer. I heard him take a call from someone— I think Oleana. He mentioned Hammerlocke—“ 

“Then that’s where we’ll go!” Hop butted in, nudging his brother’s arm. “Leon and I can go— we’ll fix this!” His enthusiasm was lost on the group. Leon knit his brow and stroked his goatee.

”I mean— what choice do we have?” His voice was solemn as he kicked debris away dejectedly, “it was my massive oversight that caused this to happen...” his charizard bent down and extended its massive wings, tilting one wing down in an invitation to Leon. “Are you coming?” He combed his hair back as he replaced his cap on his head, tugging at the bill and turning to Gloria.

Gloria’s face was enraptured with the Wyndon skyline. Her face was illuminated by the violets and pinks of the raging storm. The wind whipped in her hair as she turned to face the group.

“I’ll catch up with you.” 

In an instant, she hoisted herself up onto Cheep’s back, the wind whistling as his wings beat down against the ground. The group watched through their fingers, bracing themselves against the dust in awe. Hop turned to his brother, punching his arm as he pointed south.

”Leon—“ he walked backwards and adjusted his denim coat, “I’m not sure what she’s on about, but every second we spend staring, something horribly wrong is happening in Hammerlocke—“ he activated a pokeball in his right hand, “— _we need to go!_ ” His thumb pressed the button on his pokeball and he disappeared behind a brilliant flash of light, his own corvinight stretching in the ominous sunset. Leon struggled to take his eyes off Gloria’s disappearing figure as he swung his leg over charizard, patting him to signal he was ready to go. He took one last look at Marnie, her face plagued with confusion.

”Find her,” charizard beat its wings, sending a puff of wind through Marnie’s outfit, “she might be onto something...” 

Marnie shook the dust off her outfit and walked over to Piers and Nessa, their eyes locked on Hop and Leon’s disappearing silhouettes.   
  


“Some fucked day, Marn...” Piers’s tone of voice was inappropriately aloof amidst the thunder, lightning, and fiery hell he was coexisting in.

”I kno— OOF—“ Nessa’s boney knuckles jabbed swiftly into Marnie’s solar plexus as she recalled her drednaw.

” _THAT’S_ what you get for fucking up my figure—“ Nessa’s free hand clapped Marnie’s back heartily as she walked in the direction of the monorail entrance nearby the stadium. “That’s the last time I try to save _your_ flat ass...” Marnie clutched her stomach, heaving for air and following Nessa’s lead toward the monorail.   
  


“Hnnnnggh— sorry—“ she straightened up as they approached the tube’s doors. “Why did she head toward the tower...?” Her fingers brushed the steel door.

Nessa let out a huff, “you noticed that too huh...” she placed her hand next to Marnie’s preparing to push the doors open. Piers’s voice called from behind them.

”Uhhh—“ his voice was uncharacteristically loud, “good deducin’ and all, but—“ Nessa and Marnie’s heads turned to look at him, their jaws dropping. “Did you detectives notice _this?”_

Piers started to back away, Nessa and Marnie braced themselves against the door. What appeared to be a dozen Wyndon gym staffers were closing in on them in a semi-circle slowly.   
  


Each of them reached for their poke ball belts.


	31. Interlude: She Sees the Best in People (part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I LOVE ALL OF YOU SO MUCH I DIDNT EVER EXPECT ANYONE TO READ MY STUFF. Thank you for your ongoing support— here’s to another 1K under our belts!

Marnie swallowed hard, her eyes scanning her surroundings. The staffers were slowly closing in on the group. She craned her neck and started counting. 

_...Seven, eight nine... okay. We can do this. We can do this right? Grimmsnarl and toxicroak are still hanging out by the front— we can—_

"Soo..." Piers held his hands up as the staffers continued to approach the gang, his tone of voice remaining calm, "We don't want any trouble— we just were gonna—"

"Individuals without passes—" a particularly skinny grunt yanked her lanyard, pulling her key card free, "— are _not_ permitted to ride the monorail at this time." She held her hand up, clenching it into a fist to signal the rest of her crew to stop walking. Piers shifted his view from her lanyard, to his shoes, to Marnie and Nessa, who were still backed up against the monorail entrance. "You three will have to come with us."

An awkward silence hung, the tenseness between the gym leaders and the staffers continued to rise. Marnie shifted her gaze upward to look at Nessa, finding herself shocked at how composed the typically air-headed gym leader was. She strode toward Piers, planting her feet and crossing her arms. "And if we don't wanna go with you guys...?"

"Then you'd be making a mistake."

Piers and Nessa looked at each other or a brief moment, then back to Marnie. Piers sighed, shrugged, then adjusted his own belt. Nessa nodded and waved weakly to Marnie. 

_This is not good, what about—_

Marnie's thoughts were cut short by a sequence of blinding, flashing lights coming from the activation of several poke balls at once. Panicked, she stepped backwards into the the station entrance, stumbling as the cries of various pokemon were drowned out by the shut of the industrial door. She turned around to see the station manager looking at her with wide eyes. She narrowed hers, slamming her hands onto the counter. She gritted her teeth as flashes of light and bangs rang out behind her.

"Get me a one way to the Rose Tower."

The station manager gulped, timidly gesturing to the train with one hand, quietly tapping at the keyboard with his others. Marnie boarded and peeked her head through the window, craning her neck to view the scene. Her pokemon loyally joined the battle under Pier's team, the two gym leaders were back-to-back as they navigated the onslaught of attacks from the various staffers. She caught the eye of one of them, seeing him rip his sunglasses off his face and point vigorously at the departing train. Marnie whipped her head away from the window and sunk into the hard plastic bench of the train. She shut her eyes hard, summoning courage as the train shot toward the looming tower in the distance.

She sighed and gripped the straps of her backpack.

"I'm comin', Gloria..."

-•-

_What the HELL is that...?_

Marnie's forehead was pressed to the window as the Rose Tower's dynamic architecture jutted into her view. She could vaguely see pink sparks flying from the clouds that were swirling at the peak of the tower, horrible thunderous waves shook the monorail as she continued to speed almost certainly to impending doom. She looked down at her hands. 

_I'm way out of my league here. I can't do this. This is the sort of thing that makes Gloria so... FUCK. Can I do this???_

_*THUMP*_

The monorail once again rattled against the tremors that radiated from the tower, making Marnie's forehead bonk unceremoniously against the window. "...Owww..." Marnie's hand rubbed her forehead as she examined the smudge she left on the window. She shook her head, swiping her fingertips through her bangs as her eyes refocused on the tower. She steeled her composure and stood up, letting the sliding doors jolt her back to the reality at hand. "time to fin _— the fuck??"_ Marnie stepped out of the train and into the courtyard of the Rose Tower. Her eyes dragged across the carnage. Various staffers were cradling fainted pokemon in their arms, shying away from Marnie as she strode to the front doors. She singled one out, crouching down to be eye level with him. "Oi," she set her hands down firmly on the staffer's shoulders, "look here. What happened here." Marnie pointed her pointer and middle fingers in a "v" shape from the staffer's eyes to her own. He timidly connected his gaze with hers, she could see his eyes faintly through his sunglasses.

"The girl... She came... We were supposed to stop her but she..." Marnie felt the man shudder beneath her hand, her eyes beginning to narrow more. She stood back up, using the staffer as support and knocking him backward a little bit. The building shook, vibrations rumbling beneath her feet as dust and small chunks of debris careened off of the top of the tower. She dodged to the side as one of the letters that used to adorn the front facade of the building shook off of the smooth surface, tumbling down and sending sparks in its wake. The dilapidated "r" landed with a loud thud, static buzzing from the corners as it lost its glow gradually. Marnie looked at the double doors that separated her from what felt like destiny.

She took her first brave step forward.

The glass doors glided against the clean slate tile of the foyer, Gloria was standing determinedly in front of the elevator. Marnie could hear the rhythmic pings of the lift passing through the various floors of the building. Marnie’s heels clacked against the tile as she approached Gloria. Her hand reached out, she noticed her dynamax band glowing as she neared Gloria’s shoulder.   
  


“Gloria...”

She turned around to face Marnie, her face also illuminated by her own dynamax band. Her expression was pained.

”Gloria, come back...” Marnie’s pale hand grasped Gloria’s gently. The elevator continued to ping behind her. Gloria shook her head.

”Marnie...” she brought her hand sweetly to her cheek, still muddied from her escape from the stadium, “... I can’t... I need to fix this—“ a small rumble jostled the elevator doors, the speakers pinging one last time. Marnie’s green eyes shot behind Gloria in a panic. She took a step closer to her, reaching her other hand to her waist. Gloria frowned, staring at Marnie’s lips.

”Don’t— let me come with—“ 

Their lips connected, the foyer melted away. Gloria pulled back gently, stepping backward into the elevator. The doors began to close before Marnie could process what was going on.   
  


“It’s safer this way, Marnie—“ she reached her hand out longingly, “—I love y—“ 

The doors cut off Gloria’s last syllable.

Neither of them noticed the buzz of the security camera above them.

-•-

Frantic thoughts flashed through Marnie’s head.

_She left me. She left me! How am I gonna save her? How do I get up there— aren’t there like 100 floors? Where can I find the stairs— what is UP there??_

She paused and brought her fingertips to her lips.

_Did she say she loved me...?  
  
_

Marnie crouched down and cradled her head in her hands, her breathing becoming increasingly more and more shallow.

_Piers. Nessa. They’ll know what to do._

With that, she stood herself back up and flicked her bangs out of her face. She blinked back tears and headed for the door, clutching onto the straps of her bag.

She was greeted by the same crowd of dejected staffers, but saw a silhouette in the distance. Marnie squinted as she tried to make out the figure in the violet sky.

_A... flying taxi...?_

Marnie stumbled backward, falling butt-first into a shrub. The flying taxi quickly landed, clunking down into the general area of the landing spot. She saw the staffers suddenly reassemble into a neat line, recalling their fainted Pokémon in a panic. Marnie shifted uncomfortably in the shrub, crouching down and rearranging the branches for maximum coverage. A short man dressed in a luxurious suit and a tall woman stepped out of the taxi.

_Rose...? Oleana...?_

A frustrated, almost childish yell came from Rose’s mouth. He stamped his foot indignantly and gestured madly to his quickly deteriorating tower. His tantrum mounted to new heights as he walked down the line of grunts. He suddenly stopped, sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose. Marnie flinched when Rose snapped his fingers at Oleana. She obediently nodded and brought over a brief case, which he opened discreetly from Marnie’s view. Her eyes widened when he picked up a luxury ball, inspecting it carefully before putting it back in the case. He waved the staffers away as he made his way to the entrance.

_Is he a part of this? Is he here to help—_

Marnie swallowed hard and looked down at her hands.   
  


_What do I do...?_

_“_ I bet it’s Leon... his insolence is going to have to be... dealt with...” 

“Of course sir. Shall I let the chief of police know? We can put him in the same place we have the others...” 

Rose paused and twirled his hair, sighing dreamily.   
  


“It’s sad really... Piers, I’d expect— but Nessa?”   
  


He turned around crossing his arms nonchalantly.

  
_No... FUCK._

”Damage control for her image is going to be a nightmare... I need you to take the fall on this one, Oleana...” he reached his hand up and squeezed her shoulder. “It just... doesn’t look good if it’s the chairman throwing them in the slammer...” 

  
_SHIT. JAIL?_

Oleana took a step back, her shoulders trembling slightly.

”Sir...”

Rose took an imposing step toward the woman, clearing his throat. “Don’t you trust me...? You’ll be out of this mess soon...” Oleana cowered slightly at Rose’s words, he only got closer. She nodded obediently.   
  


_You sick fuck... I—_

Another, more severe boom broke out from the top of the tower. The cry of a Pokémon that Marnie had never heard before rang through the courtyard. Marnie couldn’t stop herself from yelping.

Rose looked directly her way and sighed.

”More company...?”

-•-

  
“Let GO you pompous FUCK—“ the chairman’s grip on Marnie’s pigtail tightened as he yanked upward, forcing her to stand.   
  


“Hmm...” Rose’s tone remained dreamy as he continued to yank Marnie forward “... I guess being a delinquent just runs in the family...” he let go of Marnie’s hair as she stumbled forward, her hand gingerly rubbing her scalp. Rose’s eyes connected with hers. “... I mean if you could call you two that...” He snapped his fingers, making both Marnie and Oleana flinch. Oleana presented Rose with the briefcase. Marnie’s heart continued to pound as she backed away, the wild booms and cries from the roof of the tower drowned out by her own pulse.

”Now _brat_ —“ Rose shrugged off his sport coat and began to roll up his sleeves. “— have you ever been taught an _unforgettable_ lesson...?” He delicately picked out a luxury ball with his fingertips, activating it in his palm with his thumb. Marnie continued to back away as she rummaged through her bag, grasping a particularly worn dusk ball.

”No—“ the ball activated in her own palm as she planted her feet. Her glare narrowed dangerously with rage as she cocked her arm for the throw, “—but I’m about to teach _you_ one.”

They both threw their balls into the dark courtyard, the light of the balls getting sucked into the darkness as another ear-splitting boom echoed from the roof.

Marnie’s morpeko was cracking with electricity, dwarfed beneath the shadow of Rose’s copperajah. Marnie’s knuckles popped as she squeezed her hand into a fist.   
  


The storm continued to rage above them.

-•-

Marnie’s liepard wobbled side to side, turning her tired snout to Marnie as she fainted.   
  


Rose’s copperajah trumpeted triumphantly as Rose wiped his forehead, sighing and recalling his Pokémon.

”And that’s that...” he walked toward Marnie, ignoring the claps of thunder that cracked above them. “...wanted to be with your brother that bad huh...?” He gingerly placed his forefinger and thumb on Marnie’s chin, angling her gaze toward him. He sucked his teeth condescendingly. “Tsk tsk...” Marnie’s hand shot out to grab Rose’s wrist, making him wince at her grip. His eyes narrowed, he leaned down and whispered in her ear.   
  


“ _Life... as you know it now... ends today, little girl...”_ Marnie’s eyes widened as she tried to back away, Rose’s saccharine laughter making her shudder. She threw the chairman’s hand to the side, her eyes darting to Oleana. Her face was almost expressionless. Rose’s hand shot out and clutched the lapel of Marnie’s leather jacket. He raised his other hand, reaching it across his shoulder as he got ready to backhand Marnie. She shut her eyes and prepared for the sting.

A terrible, guttural, animalistic cry penetrated the tension of the situation, causing the chairman to lose his grip, allowing Marnie to stumble backward to free herself. She inched toward the monorail but chunks of earth and grass flew her way as a terrifying creature landed before the chairman and Marnie. Marnie’s eyes widened.

Purple and pink rods of light shone through an exposed, steel-like rib cage of a Pokémon that could only have come from legend. It let out another shearing cry from its gaping mouth as sharp tendrils rose imposingly from its back, almost like wings. They curled protectively around a small silhouette by its rib cage.

Marnie recognized Gloria’s ferocious gaze, illuminated by the glowing core of the magnificent beast. The heavens began to part as the dust began to settle around them.

”Funny to see you here, Rose...”


	32. Tension and the Past

_PRESENT DAY, LATE AT NIGHT IN SPIKEMUTH..._

”W-w-w-wait a second—“ Nessa scootched to the side of the bed shaking herself out of the rapt attention she’d been devoting as Marnie told her side of the story. Marnie had stood up, attempting to shake off her remaining buzz as she staggered around her room. She let out a cute ‘aha!’ snatching up a faded pair of maroon cotton shorts, turning back around to face Nessa. “—this whole time— you _knew_ Piers and I got locked up?” Nessa’s face scrunched in disbelief, Marnie stumbled as she jumped into the shorts. She gave a weak nod, her hands reaching behind her, swiping deftly for the zipper of her dress. Nessa’s jaw was still dropped when she waved for Marnie to come closer to her. Marnie huffed impatiently and gave up on the zipper, eyeing the small en suite by her closet. She walked over, flicking on the light as she reached for her toothbrush. Nessa stood up and followed, annoyed at being ignored. She crossed her arms and stood behind Marnie. “So when Piers and I said all that stuff—“ Marnie jammed the toothbrush in her mouth and started brushing, “—you know— like how we totally kicked ass and were just—“ Nessa caught Marnie’s eye in the mirror.

Marnie’s deadpan expression said it all.

Nessa blushed, and Marnie nodded. She spat into the sink and turned on the faucet, pointing to the zipper on the back of her dress. Nessa brought her hands up to the zipper as she attempted to stifle her embarrassment while Marnie rinsed our her mouth. The zipper glided down between her shoulder blades.

”Yup,” Marnie lifted up her hands, running them through her hair and resting them on her neck. She felt Nessa’s hand tug at the base of the zipper. She craned her neck to look at Nessa’s face. She frowned when she saw the dark circles forming beneath her eyes, turning around to face her. She echoed Nessa’s actions from earlier, cupping her cheeks softly as she gently swiped her thumbs beneath her eyes. “I knew the whole time...” the straps of Marnie’s dress drooped over her shoulders. Nessa’s eyes darted to the reflection in the mirror. Marnie’s skin was exceptionally fair, the tops of her shoulders glowing a gentle pink. She eyed the clasp of her black, lacy bra. She felt a pat on her cheek snap her back to reality. “...it’s okay though, I really played along for my brothers’ pride. Plus— I didn’t want him to feel... ashamed...” Marnie broke away from Nessa, shuffling back into her bedroom. The dreary, fluorescent light clashed with the neon beams bleeding through her shades. It illuminated Marnie as she shrugged off the straps of her dress. Nessa’s eyes followed it to the ground. Nessa swallowed hard. Marnie turned to face her, her expression shifting from her typical pococurante facade to a much more vulnerable, sincere look. She sighed sadly, plopping into bed and looking down, patting the space next to her. “I know how Piers is about his past... On top of that—“ her head raised as Nessa made her way over to her, she reached out her hand to hold Nessa’s as she settled into bed next to her, “— I wanted you to be okay too.”   
  


Nessa cocked her eyebrow, surprised at Marnie’s honesty. She unconsciously squeezed Marnie’s small, soft hand as she held her gaze mightily, not daring to let her gaze stray below her eyes. 

Or to her chin.

Or to her neck.

Or to the gentle slope of her collarbones.  
  


“Why...?” Nessa’s voice was soft as she leaned back, propping herself up on her elbow. She wasn’t able to tear her gaze away from Marnie. Her eyes got caught on her neck again, watching the rhythmic pulse of her heartbeat race through her vein. She saw Marnie swallow, let go of her hand, and crawl her way back to Nessa’s lap. Nessa craned her neck, but Marnie’s face was obscured by shadows and the sheets. She was stuck looking at her back, her shoulder blades casting deep shadows. Marnie’s voice was muffled.

”I dunno...” Nessa flinched a bit as Marnie brought one of her hands up to hold her thigh, “you just have always...” Nessa timidly brought her hand back to caress Marnie’s hair, Marnie snuggled her face into Nessa’s lap, “... been there.” Marnie’s shoulders shivered as Nessa’s fingertips ran through her hair. She squeezed Nessa’s thigh, propping herself up to face her once again. Nessa’s hand tucked a stray lock of hair behind Marnie’s ear. Her fingertips traced over her piercings, then her jaw, finally pausing to cup her cheek. Marnie’s voice was gentle.

“You have a habit of saving me.”   
  


Silence hung in the bedroom for a moment as they looked into each other’s eyes.   
  


The bed creaked.

Marnie crawled back up to Nessa.

She tried to prop herself up to back away.

Nessa’s breathing got shallow, her eyes were glued to Marnie’s lips.

-•-

Bea struggled a bit to negotiate the sliding door out of her and Gloria’s way. The door finally clattered away to the side, Bea clumsily stumbled forward. Gloria’s arms shot out to wrap around Bea’s waist as she regained composure.

_Nice. Ten points to Bea in the idiot awards. Get a hold of yourself..._

Her face blushed furiously as she patted her tan hand against Gloria’s, which were resting gently on her stomach. She laughed nervously, Gloria gave her an affectionate squeeze. ”Whoa there...” her voice wavered.  
  


“So what’s this?” Gloria’s eyes scanned the large room. It had wide open space with a large, wall-to-wall mirror spanning directly in front of her. Bea nervously wriggled free from Gloria’s embrace as she peered around the corner of the doorframe, her fingertips flipping on the light switch. She jumped down from the step of the doorway, her feet landing on the familiar, slightly springy floor.

”This is where I learned all of my— how did you put it?“ she brought her fists up in a mock combat pose, “my sick moves?” She shot her a wry smile, Gloria let out a giggle, joining Bea as she continued to scan the room.   
  


“Huh...” she walked to the other side of the room, where traditional weapons adorned the wall. Bea watched nervously as Gloria’s eyes dragged from the staff and bos, the crossed tonfa, and the stacked katana. She continued to peruse the room, turning her attention to the other wall, lined with pictures. Bea squinted slightly as she joined Gloria’s gaze, looking at what appeared to be a long line of class photos. The two walked together, the photographs showing different pupils but the same teacher, who aged progressively as the two made their way down the line. Each frame seemed to be shiningly clean, the glass gleaming in the room light, until the two got to the last two frames. Bea played with her waistband nervously as Gloria looked at the two peculiarly dusty picture frames, cocking her head in curiosity. 

“What’s this...?”

She brought her thumb to the glass and swiped at the frame, revealing a significantly younger Bea standing at attention in her Gi, a black belt tied tightly at her waist. A huge smile plastered Gloria’s face as she turned around to face Bea. ”Oh. My. Gosh. Awhhhh Bea! You look so _adorable!”_ Bea blushed furiously as she bashfully averted her gaze, Gloria’s hands shot out to pinch her cheeks. Bea grumbled as Gloria squished her face, “oh my goodness— Bea your cute little baby face! You look _exactly_ the same!!”   
  


“Nnngghhh, no I don’t...” Bea’s hands squeezed Gloria’s wrists gently. Gloria leaned in close and planted a quick peck on Bea’s lips. Bea immediately stopped fighting to free herself, her eyes opening wide as Gloria pulled away. She shot Bea a huge grin, finally letting go of her face and turning back around to admire the last two frames. She closely inspected the frame she swiped her thumb against, squinting her eyes as she looked at young Bea. She frowned at Bea’s dour expression. Her fingertips wiped the dust off of the teacher’s face, his expression equally stern.   
  


“You weren’t kidding, you don’t look like you’re enjoying yourself at all... So this is the teacher you hated...?” She inquired, dreamily walking to the last frame. Her hands reached up and removed it from the wall. Bea shifted uncomfortably. Gloria blew hard, sending a plume of dust directly into Bea’s face. She staggered backward and coughed, waving her hand in front of her face. She suddenly paused, her eyes watering as a sneeze teased nose. “Oh— oops so sorry—“ Bea’s face scrunched cutely as she stifled her sneeze, sniffing cutely and approaching Gloria again. Her eyes darted to the last picture frame, then back to Gloria’s eyes.   
  
  


_Be normal, be normal, be normal..._

“Yep—“ she reached out to grab the picture frame from Gloria’s hands, gently taking it from her and standing up on her tip toes to hang it back up. “—I guess I missed a spot when I cleaned this place last...” Gloria watched as Bea meticulously lined up the frame, shifting it here and there till it was perfectly matched with the others. She took a step back to admire her work. Gloria looked at the grainy, poorly taken picture with confusion.

It appeared to depict the teacher adorning a student with a gold medal, there was a blurry crowd gathered in the background. The angle in which the picture was taken was poor, the teacher’s arm obstructing the face of the honoree. A slight motion blur flared the outlines of the two main individuals in the frame. Gloria put her hands on her hips and cocked her eyebrow.   
  


“Who’s that?”   
  


Bea sighed and walked towards the doorway, not taking a second to look behind her. She paused and drummed her fingers against the frame, waiting for Gloria to follow. She finally brought herself to look at Gloria, her expression was complicated.   
  


“That’s his daughter.”   
  


Bea gently placed her hand on the small of Gloria’s back as she ushered her out of the room. She flicked off the light and paused, taking one last look at the room before sliding the door closed.   
  


Bea felt discomfort rise in her chest as she thought about the dust settling in the room.

_I’ll have to clean that up now..._

Gloria’s footsteps continued down the hall, moonbeams from the courtyard washed through the windows illuminating her figure. Gloria held her hand out, beckoning Bea toward her.

”Hey...” her voice was sweet and shy as Bea made her way over to her, taking her hand in hers and lacing their fingers, “... wanna show me your room...?” Gloria squeezed Bea’s hand. The two walked silently for a moment, turning a corner and approaching a set of stairs.   
  


Bea eyed Gloria, giving her a small smirk. She backed away a bit, “sure,” she held her arms out welcomingly,

_“need a ride?”_


	33. Who Took Away Their Smile

“Psh,” Gloria waved Bea’s offer away coyly, “I got this...” she felt her quads cramp angrily as she took her first step up the stairs. Bea shrugged, walking past her, skipping the first two steps. Gloria tried her best to stifle a groan, reaching for the hand rail.   
  


The upstairs hall light turned on, Gloria could hear Bea tapping her foot impatiently as she trudged her way to the landing. Bea greeted her with a frown. “I bet you’re not feeling too great right now—“ she held her hand out to Gloria, lacing her fingers with hers as she led her to her old bedroom, “—I think I might be able to help you out.” She slid another door open, revealing a painfully minimalistic bedroom. A platform bed laid nestled in the back corner, a single nightstand neatly tucked beside it. A simple, wooden desk with a matching chair was settled against the wall opposite, with a vanity and wardrobe taking up the remaining real estate. There was a wall that was adorned by a crowded row of medals, all sparkling similar shades of gold. A shelf was perched above the medals, stuffed edge-to-edge with multi-tiered trophies. Each one had the number “1” attached to it one way or another. Gloria sauntered over to inspect the medals as Bea went over to rummage for something in her closet.   
  


Gloria dragged her fingertip across the medals, causing them to clink together like wind chimes. She inspected her fingertips.

_Literally everything—_

She scuffed her toe across the shining wood floor

_is so—_

She sat on the bed, hugging a pillow to her chest and breathing deeply through her nose. The familiar scent of Bea’s fabric softener calmed her senses.

_fucking clean..._

She cocked her head, leaning to the side as she watched Bea’s hands reach for something on a tall shelf in her closet. Gloria dragged her gaze up and down her body.  
  


_Look at those arms... I can see her abs peeking through since her shirt is riding up a bit... when she stands on her tip toes, her butt looks—_

“Uh-whoaaa—“ 

_*THOK*_

_OOF._

Bea stumbled backward, a fluffy duvet tumbling into her arms and a dislodged book bonking her on the head. Gloria winced as she saw the thick binder’s corner land squarely on top of Bea’s foot. Bea scrunched one of her eyes closed, hopping slightly as she clutched onto the duvet.

_HA. OUCH. Better go help..._

”Hhnnnngghh,” Gloria leveraged herself out of bed and walked over to the closet, Bea let out a string of innocent non-expletives into the duvet as she shook her foot. “You okay Jelly Bean?” Gloria crouched down to pick up the binder as Bea unburied her face from the fluff.   
  


“Yep—“ her voice was strained, her body turning to face Gloria, “just a scra— hey now—“ her eyes widened, Gloria’s nose was buried excitedly in the binder. Gold, embossed letters at the front of the binder read ‘ _Photo Album’_ in cheesy, script-y font. Bea quickly stuffed the duvet under her right arm as she attempted to swipe the binder away with her free hand, “— no way— gimme that—“ 

Gloria side stepped and dodged Bea’s calculating swipes expertly, giggling gleefully as she flipped through the pages. She ran back onto the bed, jumping into the covers comfortably as she cradled the binder from Bea’s grabby hands. Her eyes suddenly widened, a gasp left her lips. Bea cringed as she walked to the bed slowly in defeat. “ _BEA—_ “ she proudly held up the page she was looking up so she could see its contents.   
  


“Oh no...” 

“Oh _YES!”_

Gloria greedily turned the book back around to herself, stroking the page excitedly.

Bea sighed, draping the duvet over Gloria, then turning her attention to her nightstand’s drawer. She pulled it open and rummaged for a bit. Gloria was still giggling as Bea settled into bed behind her, pulling Gloria into her lap. Gloria felt a blush rage through her face.

_Oh my..._

Gloria leaned back and rested in her warm embrace, shutting the album gently on her finger so as not to lose her place. She craned her neck back and up to catch a glimpse of Bea, who was pushing an almost identical pair of glasses as the one she had seen her wear earlier up the bridge of her nose. The gold, wire frames complimented her tan skin. Bea was stifling a bashful blush of her own as her steely blue eyes met Gloria’s.

  
Gloria felt herself melt even more.

  
She suddenly felt Bea’s hands slide up the sides of her arms and to her shoulders, squeezing her gently. Gloria’s eyes closed, an involuntary moan left her lips as Bea’s voice gently whispered into her ear.

” _We can look through it for a while...”_ her thumbs began to massage circles into Gloria’s sore back, “ _I’ll take care of you...”_

”Mmmm...” Gloria nodded her head dreamily, nuzzling her cheek against Bea’s hand, pausing to press her lips against her fingertips. She missed out on Bea’s exploding blush as she devilishly reopened the binder. Bea sunk back against the wall, squeezing firmly against Gloria’s shoulders, the album page donning an unflattering childhood photo of her running away from the photo-taker in her birthday suit. Gloria’s fingertips pointed excitedly at Bea’s exposed bottom,

”I would’ve never taken you for a nudi—OW—“ 

Bea’s voice quietly but firmly passed through clenched teeth, her thumbs digging firmly into Gloria’s knots, “ _turn the page please._ ”

”—Okay— yes ma’am—“ Gloria let out a sigh of relief as the pressure against her muscles relaxed, switching back to the therapeutic massage Bea was giving her earlier.   
  


-•-

  
The two snuggled in Bea’s bed, turning the pages as Bea patiently worked through Gloria’s various questions, sharing laughs as she dig deeper and deeper through Bea’s once-steely facade. Gloria listened with rapt attention as Bea walked her through the various competition photos, occasionally setting the album down between her legs to stroke her fingertips over Bea’s firm thighs affectionately.   
  


The pain and soreness began to fade from Gloria’s back gradually, as did the distance between the two. Bea eventually stopped, sliding her arms gently around Gloria’s waist as they resumed looking through the album. Gloria sunk all the way back into Bea’s arms as she turned the page. She felt the rhythm of Bea’s steady breathing stop suddenly as a portrait of her, and a taller, dark-featured woman holding a pale baby boy in her arms appeared on the page. Gloria paused as well, recognizing the facade of the house behind them. She felt Bea’s embrace tighten around her.

”Oh wow...” Bea rested her chin gently on Gloria’s shoulder, reaching her fingertips to the glossy page. “I almost forgot what she looked like...” Gloria felt a sigh leave Bea, tickling her cheek as she peeked at her through the corner of her eye. Gloria frowned, pulling away and gently cupping Bea’s cheek, trying to understand her solemn expression. Bea brought her hand up from the page, tracing her fingertips over the back of Gloria’s hand as she turned her face to meet hers. “It’s okay!” Bea feigned positivity, gesturing awkwardly with her hand, “that’s Allie’s mom— my stepmom...” 

Gloria’s eyes darted back to the page, combing over the details of the woman. Her skin was fair, her eyes gleamed a deep violet color. Her jet-black hair had extreme, shining highlights from the sun. She looked almost exactly like Allister save one detail:

She had a bright, proud smile plastered on her face. She noticed the woman’s free hand was resting lovingly on Bea’s shoulder, Bea’s body language seemed far more comfortable in this picture versus the rest.

Gloria felt a smile of her own form as she continued to inspect the picture.

”She’s pretty, right?” Gloria felt a shiver run down her spine as Bea snuggled her face into the crook of her neck. “She was basically everything my father wasn’t...” Bea returned to hugging Gloria closely, Gloria felt another blush burn on her cheeks as she felt Bea’s long eyelashes brush against her neck. “Remember when you asked me why I like sweets so much...?”   
  


Gloria felt like she was being deconstructed by her sweetness, sighing and closing her eyes again. “Mmmhmm...” 

“Well, before her, I was never allowed to have any... but she came along, and she always loved that little bakery we were at today...” Gloria heard Bea swallow hard. “So now that she’s gone—“ her voice cracked a bit, “I guess I started liking them for the both of us...” 

_Is she—?_

Gloria’s eyes shot open, her brows knit in concern. She leaned forward, turning herself to look at Bea.

Gloria cocked an eyebrow in surprise, finding Bea pursing her lips without a single tear rolling down her face. Bea shifted her gaze uncomfortably, clearing her throat.

_Oh... I wonder why she’s— am I making her feel weird? Does she feel anything about this at all? Why am I disappointed? Am I reading too much into this...?  
_

”Sorry— that was weird, I just—“ 

_I want to help... I want her to feel okay... with me..._

“No— no it’s okay—“ Gloria readjusted herself, kneeling between Bea’s legs, “I wanted to know, I want to know you...” Gloria leaned forward slightly, reaching her hands up to Bea’s face, removing her glasses gently. Bea’s lips parted slightly as the gap between their faces began to close. Gloria whispered against Bea’s soft lips.

” _Is it okay if I want to know everything...?”_  
  


Their lips connected, Bea’s hands rested lightly on Gloria’s waist. Gloria moaned quietly as Bea’s tongue boldly stroked against her lower lip, making Gloria’s pulse pound in her head. She hungrily deepened the kiss, dancing her tongue softly against Bea’s, closing her lips softly around it. She sucked gently as she pulled away, her lips gliding off her tongue with a small pop as she opened her eyes to look at Bea once again. Gloria felt a fire ignite in her chest as she took in Bea’s blushing face, her steely eyes returning her gaze through heavy lids. Her eyes dropped down to Bea’s parted lips, intense huffs left her chest her hands firmed their grip on her waist.

Gloria felt an impulse shoot through her brain.

Bea’s eyes widened as Gloria suddenly dropped her head to her chest, pressing her ear just beneath her left collar bone.

”Whoa there—“ Bea’s arms wrapped around Gloria awkwardly as she nestled her cheek against her. “What— I mean— what’s going on h—“

”Shhhhh!”   
  


“Uh—“ 

“Shush— lemme listen...” 

Bea pursed her lips and squeezed Gloria closer, swallowing hard as she did her best to stay quiet. Her heart beat wildly against her chest. A sigh of relief left Gloria’s lips.

_So she does feel it... she feels it too..._

Gloria propped herself back up, hovering over Bea. She looked at Bea with a penetrating gaze, taking a deep breath in. Bea shrunk down into the bed, struggling to maintain eye contact.

”Did I... do something wrong...?” Bea’s voice was small. “I mean... why did you—“ Bea brought her hand toward her, pointing cutely at her chest, her eyebrow raising inquisitively. Gloria saw Bea’s expression relax a bit when she smiled brightly at her, a small incredulous laugh huffing from her chest.

”Psh— no _silly_! I wanted to hear your heart—“ she pushed herself back and returned back to kneel before Bea, reaching for Bea’s hand. Their fingers laced.

“I like you— I really like the human part of you...” Gloria rubbed her thumb over Bea’s hand gently, turning her gaze to her slender fingers, “... I just wanted to hear your little human heart beat...” Bea’s breath caught in her throat as Gloria’s eyes darted back to hers. 

“ _... because I think— just now— it was beating for me...”_

Bea blinked hard, squeezing Gloria’s hand hard and clenching her jaw. She breathed deeply in through her nose, quivering slightly under Gloria’s gaze. Bea furrowed her brow and gave Gloria an expression she never expected to see from Bea.

Her lip quivered slightly, a tear teetered dangerously on a bouquet of Bea’s lower lashes.

She looked afraid.

_I want to know why..._

-•-

_What’s going on?_

Bea swallowed again painfully, trying to force her bubbling emotions back down into her stomach.   
  


_She doesn’t want to know. She doesn’t care, this is all a huge misunderstanding, she—_

Bea turned her head away and shut her eyes hard. A tear blazed a trail down her cheek to her horror.

_No._

_”Bea...”_

_No._

Bea refused to return eye contact and cleared her throat again. She took a sharp, shuddering breath in, another tear rolled down from her eye and dropped off the bridge of her nose.

_”Bea, it’s okay...”_

_NO._

Her heart began to throb even harder, her face began to go numb. Bea opened her eyes again, suddenly every imperfection of the sheets coming clearly into her view. Panic shot through her nervous system.

_Not now._

Bea’s voice trembled. “Oh no... I didn’t... I don't know why I fee—” her pulse continued to roar in her ears, the world disintegrated into white noise.

“Bea!!”   
  


Bea snapped her head back to look at Gloria, shocked to see her face wincing.

”Hand—loosen— p-please—“ 

Bea’s jaw dropped as she immediately let go of Gloria’s hand, Gloria gingerly cradled it to her chest. Bea looked down at her hand, anguish and confusion welling inside of her.

_This was a mistake._

”This was a m—“ 

“No.” 

“What?”   
  


“No. It wasn’t a mistake, Bea.” Gloria wiggled her fingers and stared back at Bea determinedly. “I stand by what I said.” She reached her hand out to cup Bea’s face, Bea winced at her touch.  
  


”Gloria, I’m sorry— your hand— I didn’t mean to—“

”I know.”

”I don’t know why— I don’t know why I’m—“ 

The walls began to close in on her rapidly, she clutched at the sheets hard. Her knuckles began to turn white. She winced again as Gloria’s other hand cupped her cheek.   
  


“It’s alright, I don’t need a perfect explanation—“ 

“I’m so embarrassed I don’t know what even—“ 

Gloria fiercely maintained eye contact with Bea, making Bea pause. She searched her face and bit her lip nervously.  
  


”It’s okay. You’re okay...” Gloria’s expression softened, she began to wipe away at the streaks the tears made with her thumbs gently. “We’re good...” her voice was gentle, the feeling began to tingle back into Bea’s face.

”I don’t know what to say...” 

“Then you don’t have to say anything...” Bea felt Gloria lean forward, wrapping her arms around her neck. “I’m sorry... I think I pried too much...”

Bea timidly brought her arms back around Gloria, self conscious of the force she exerted on her. She shifted nervously. “I don’t even know what happened... it’s not your fault, I just...” Bea let out a long sigh, burying her face into Gloria’s shoulder. “... Maybe I haven’t really dealt with uh... human stuff in a while...”

”Hmmm...” 

Bea shivered in Gloria’s embrace.   
  


“Well...?” Gloria let go, leaning back to look at Bea once again. “I’m here still. And I’ll be here tonight...” she brought her lips to Bea’s cheek gently, then hovered by her ear, “... and I’ll be here in the morning... so we can take our time...” She pressed another kiss to her cheek, readjusting herself to lean back into Bea.

_Unreal... I made a fool of myself and she’s just... wait what—_

  
She grabbed both of Bea’s hands and wrapped them back around her waist, nestling comfortably back into her. “Feel a lil better?” She tilted her head up, raising her eyebrows.

”Mmmm sort of... I—“ 

Gloria grabbed Bea’s hand once again, sliding it up her shirt and over her bra. “How about now?”

_Oh my—_

"We don't have to—" Bea stopped herself, peering timidly over Gloria's shoulder and admiring her profile. "I bet you're tired... you don't have to—" Gloria's eyes turned to hers once again, concern causing her brow to furrow. Bea's voice trailed off, "—feel like... you have to fix anything..." She swallowed hard. Gloria let out a sigh, scooting back into Bea once again. She kept Bea's hands planted where they were, stroking her fingertips over the back of Bea's hands. 

"I just want you to be alright... I feel bad, I know I can be nosey sometimes..." She tilted her head up, "Plus, I like being like this! You're so warm..."

"No! I just— I think I short-circuited, I totally made things weird," Bea struggled to find the right words, "I just never really thought about dealing with this stuff ever again. I never thought anyone would even ask, honestly..." Her voice got quieter as she finished the statement.

_Oh. That's embarrassing. I'm such a loser..._

Gloria took her hands off of Bea's placing one palm on her thigh while the other one reached back to the album. She reopened the page to the childhood photo Gloria had been poking fun at earlier, giggling wryly as she pointed back at her butt. 

"Oh gosh not this..." Bea felt a smile form on her face begrudgingly as Gloria traced the picture animatedly.

"I think— and this isn't just the cute little baby butt talking— that you're amazing, Bea. I like being around you..." she sighed longingly, readjusting the duvet nervously, "I like being around you when you're being yourself, Jelly Bean." She flipped through the pages once again, landing on a page with a newspaper cutout of Bea standing with her arms crossed in front of the Gym. Her expression matched the one she was wearing from the picture downstairs. Stern. Gloria smiled a little as they looked at the photograph. "I like being the one who knows you like _this_ " snuggled closer to Bea, her fingertips pulling away from the bolded headline on the clipping. 

Bea peered down, squinting. 

"Uhhh..."

"Oh— oops, here— lemme" Gloria patted the duvet, looking for Bea's glasses. She heard the wire frames click beneath her hands, fishing out the frames triumphantly. She grinned, turning around to put the glasses on Bea's face. After some awkward adjusting, Gloria pulled away proudly, admiring Bea as she pushed them up the bridge of her nose. "When did you start needing those, you're way too young to be losing your sight, right?"

Bea smiled, returning her gaze back down to the album sitting in Gloria's lap. "Well," She scooted closer, "when you take so many hits to the head..." her eyes scanned the text, a reminiscent smile spreading on her face, "I guess it takes a toll?" She let out a sigh as Gloria returned her attention back to the binder. Bea closed her eyes, squeezing Gloria and sinking back into the bed comfortably.

_I remember when that was taken... What a dumb headline..._

_"The Unbeatable Iron Fighting Force: New Gym Leader Takes Over With an Impenetrable Fighting Style"_

_So much for "impenetrable..."_

The atmosphere calmed down.

Bea kept her eyes closed as Gloria continued to flip through the pages.

-•-

"Oh this must have been the year I did the challenge!" A wide shot of the Gym Leaders laid before Gloria, she heard Bea give her a quiet 'mmhmmm' from behind her. She flipped the page, a small polaroid picture of Nessa and Bea at the Stow-on-Side Gym caught her eye. It depicted Nessa vigorously working with battle ropes as Bea carried...

_...Seven, eight, nine, TEN? Ten forty fives?_

Gloria gave up on doing the math in her head, returning her gaze back to the small picture. She slid it out of the album, inspecting it closer. Bea didn't look like she was breaking a sweat, unconsciously hauling the plates in the background behind Nessa. She put it back down, sliding it back into place next to another picture of the two. They were candidly smiling at each other, wearing Galarian-branded athletic gear. Nessa had a towel slung over her shoulder in a competition swimsuit, Bea was wearing a two-piece version of her usual body suit, her hands were unravelling boxing gauze. Gloria paused, looking at the picture intently.

_Huh... I didn't even know... It never occurred to me that they competed for Galar. I wonder if they're still close...?_

Gloria nudged the candid photo out of the album and shifted forward. "Hey, I found this—" She closed the album on her knee, picture in hand, turning around to face Bea, "Can you— Bea?"Gloria immediately hushed her voice.

Her eyes were drawn to Bea's chest, rising and falling slowly, on hand resting on her stomach, the other resting by her side since it fell from Gloria's waist as she readjusted. Bea's eyes were shut gently, the glint of her lenses obscuring them slightly. 

_I wanna kiss that cute face..._

Gloria had forgotten about the album balancing on her knee as she impulsively began to readjust herself to crawl toward Bea.

_Oh shit—_

Gloria silently lunged her hand forward to snatch the binder before it dropped to the floor noisily. Gloria managed to catch the binder, two small, yellowed polaroids fell from somewhere in the back and onto the ground, the sheets jerked forward slightly in her effort. Gloria cringed, peeking behind her carefully to check on Bea. 

"Hmngh..."

Gloria raised her eyebrow, watching expectantly.

Bea's head bobbed sleepily to rest on her shoulder. To Gloria's relief, her eyes were still closed. Her glasses slid down the bridge of her nose slightly. 

_Damn I'm so good..._

Gloria carefully closed the album, propping herself up slowly. She inched herself out of the bed, quietly walking over the the simple wooden desk and placing the album on top of it. She turned her attention back to Bea, tiptoeing back to her and gently lifting the lenses from her face. She affectionately traced her fingertip on the indents the nose pads had left on the bridge of her nose. She crisscrossed the frames and gently placed them on top of the nightstand. Her eyes then darted to the two polaroids that fell to the ground. She crouched down, swiping them up into her hands. 

One depicted, to Gloria's confused surprise, a significantly younger-looking picture of Bea's old martial arts teacher. He was smiling brightly, carrying a bundle of blankets and shooting the photographer a cheesy thumbs-up. She looked intently at the instructor's eyes. They were an intense, metallic blue. There was a year written at the bottom in felt-tip marker, along with the words ' _little sensei.'_

_Huh..._

Gloria stood back up and started walking to the photo album, bringing the second polaroid to her face as she placed the other picture down on the cover of the binder. She paused for a while, staring at the picture. It appeared to be a different angle of the photo from downstairs. The promotional banners that hung by the crowd shared the same branding and colors as the ones from the other picture. She placed the polaroid down and sighed sadly, looking back at Bea's peaceful body. She brought her eyes back for one last look. Bea's unmistakable, tan head was bowed before the instructor as he placed a gold medal around her neck. His expression was still cold. Bea's face was controlled, save for her brows, which were slightly narrowed. Her eyes were shooting a steely glare back up at him. Both seemed reluctant to be seen with each other. 

The room was quiet as Gloria crept back into bed next to Bea. She held her tightly, nuzzling her face against her shoulder and drifted off to the scent of clean laundry.


	34. Crossing the Line, and Crossing It Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> THIS CHAPTER IS NAUGHTY. YOUVE BEEN WARNED

_This is wrong..._

Nessa was backed up against the headboard of Marnie’s bed, fixated on Marnie’s lips. She had one hand cupping her soft, blushing face while the other one crept up to steady her waist.

_She’s like a sister to me..._

Her eyes dragged down her body, watching intently as Marnie adjusted herself, straddling Nessa. She leaned up slightly, attempting to close the gap between the two as her heart throbbed loudly in her head.

She shivered as Marnie brought her own hands to Nessa’s cheeks, sliding them delicately down the sides of her throat, then pausing at her chest. She felt tension burn in her core at her touch, nervously watching Marnie swallow.   
  


_I don’t... when has she ever looked this good to me... Oh fuck—_

Marnie pressed down forcefully on Nessa’s chest, knocking her back into a fluffy embrace of pillows. The bed creaked again, she leaned down, her lips brushing against Nessa’s ear.

” _I could feel your heart pounding Ness...”_ Marnie lowered her body, settling between Nessa’s legs. Nessa let out a shuddering sigh as she wrapped her arms around Marnie. Her perfectly manicured fingertips stroked against her shoulder blades as Marnie pulled back to look her in the eye. Her lips parted as her eyes scanned Nessa’s face. She gave her a devilish smirk, “ _... you look like you wanna do bad things to me...”_

“...”

”...”

_I do._

Nessa’s fingertips dragged down to the clasp of Marnie’s bra. She felt Marnie quiver as she dug her fingers beneath it, sliding her thumbs to unfasten it.

  
She didn’t protest.

The black, lacy bra disappeared into the shadows that were cast on Marnie’s floor.

_She’s too young..._

Nessa reached up, bracing her hand at the nape of Marnie’s neck to bring her closer to her face.

_Sonia would never forgive me..._

Their foreheads knocked together gently, their noses gently brushing against each other. Nessa’s hands wandered down the newly exposed territory of Marnie’s body. Their lips brushed together.

_If Piers ever finds out, he’ll kill me..._

_”Mmmm...”_

The soft plumpness of Marnie’s lips locking with hers electrocuted her senses. The faint sting of lingering liquor intoxicated their kiss, Nessa’s hand sliding from Marnie’s back to her chest, firmly grasping at her breast. She captured Marnie’s moan with her lips, deepening the kiss as her tongue explored her mouth. Her tongue rolled over her piercing, its cool, smooth texture sending tremors through her body as her hands made the desperate journey to the waistband of her shorts.

_Oh my god..._

  
They pulled away breathlessly.

  
_Oh my god._

She sat herself up, burying her face into the soft, hot crook of Marnie’s neck, gliding her tongue against her goosebumps. One hand braced between her shoulder blades firmly, the other hand dug beneath her shorts as she firmly grasped at her ass. She kissed her way hungrily to her shoulder, shifting Marnie’s weight to the side as she continued to take charge.

The bed creaked loudly again as Marnie’s body shifted gently in Nessa’s arms to the side. Marnie’s chest was heaving up and down, Nessa pulled away to admire her exposed body as she wriggled her hand from beneath her arching back. She dragged her hands to her hips, digging her fingertips into the waistband of her shorts and panties. Marnie’s legs spread instinctively, digging her feet into the bed to lift up her hips as Nessa slid the shorts and underwear off of her.   
  
  


First, her left leg looped out of them. Then, Nessa took her time to drag her hand down Marnie’s toned right leg, pausing to squeeze her calf as Marnie flicked of the pesky articles of clothing with her foot.   
  


Nessa’s roaring pulse was so loud that she didn’t hear them hit the ground.

Soon, Marnie’s jet-black nails were combing through Nessa’s long, soft hair as she lowered herself once again over her body, grinding her hips between Marnie’s spread legs.

” _Fuck... Ness...”_

_I want her._

Marnie’s legs wrapped around Nessa tightly, squeezing them closer together, the friction causing a breathy moan to escape Marnie’s lips.   
  


_I need her._

The tantalizing sensation of Marnie’s nails scratching lightly against her scalp drove her mad. She once again ducked her head down to Marnie’s collarbones, sucking hard as she brought her left hand up to stroke over her breast.   
  


“ _Nessa...”_

Nessa’s fingertip dragged over Marnie’s hardening nipple, catching on her cold, silver barbell. Marnie’s back arched desperately into Nessa’s embrace as she flicked against her piercing. Nessa clutched her close, biting down gently into her shoulder. Marnie whimpered weakly, Nessa shifted her weight to the side as she slid her hand down from her breast. She dug her nails into her slightly as her fingertips dragged down her toned waist, pausing briefly to grab her hips roughly. Another moan escaped from Marnie’s lips, Nessa dragged her tongue from the light bite marks she left on her shoulder, back up her neck. She paused briefly by her ear, whispering gently.

  
“ _Marnie,”_

she shuddered at the sound of her name,

“ _I want you so bad.”_

Her lips sucked gently against her jawline as Marnie’s legs loosened around Nessa’s waist, spreading again as her hand stroked its way down gently between them.   
  


Their lips connected again passionately as Nessa’s middle and ring finger massaged over Marnie’s hot, soft, wet slit. Her moan reverberated in Nessa’s mouth. Nessa daringly began to spread her lips, her middle finger dipping into Marnie’s wetness.

Marnie’s hands suddenly shot up to the front of Nessa’s shoulders, pushing her away firmly. Beads of sweat twinkled off of them both, their breathing carnal and ragged.   
  


They looked at each other with wide eyes. 

Their voices were hushed, whispering in timid unison.

_”Holy shit...”_

-•-

Thoughts were racing through Marnie’s mind at a mile a minute. Her hands gripped tightly at Nessa’s shoulders as she continued to hold her gaze.   
  


Her pulse throbbed in her throat as she tried to catch her breath. Nessa’s fingertips were lightly, absent-mindedly massaging between her legs, sending tremors through Marnie’s core. Marnie dragged her hand from Nessa’s shoulder and down her arm, squeezing her toned bicep gently. Nessa continued to touch her. Marnie continued to melt. Her hand then dropped down to Nessa’s wrist, her other hand sliding to the nape of Nessa’s neck. Her grip tightened around her wrist. Her voice quivered, Nessa’s eyes shot up from their lustful gaze at her body back to her eyes.

_”I want you to look at me while you do it...”_

Nessa’s lips parted, a small gasp leaving them as Marnie boldly guided Nessa’s long, slender middle finger inside of her. Nessa pushed herself further into her throbbing sex, staying passionately true to Marnie’s request as she began to establish a rhythm, fucking her deep and slow.

_Fuck. I can’t—_

She pulled Nessa closer by the nape of her neck, loosening her grip on her wrist with her other hand as Nessa’s finger slid in and out of her. Marnie’s hips began to grind lewdly as she brought her free hand up to Nessa’s neck. Her arms wrapped around her, their foreheads coming together again. She shifted her chin up and kissed Nessa desperately, holding her close as the rhythm of Nessa’s strokes began to pick up. Marnie felt the hot sensitive walls of her pussy clamp down around her finger as she felt Nessa explore her, finding her g-spot. Nessa stifled her cries with her kiss.

_FUCK— this is so— I’ve never—_

Nessa pulled away from their kiss, pausing to look down between Marnie’s legs. Her breath caught in her throat nervously. 

“ _Wait—Ness—“_

_”It’s okay...”_

A long, trembling sigh flowed from Marnie as Nessa’s ring finger teased her entrance. Pressure increased in Marnie’s core as Nessa slipped it slowly inside of her, curling her fingertips upward slightly. The sensation sent Marnie’s senses spiraling. She reconnected her gaze earnestly, taking Marnie by surprise.

_”I’m gonna make you feel so good...”_

_Yes._

She started her rhythm back up again, Marnie threw her head back in ecstasy. She only got wetter For Nessa’s fingers. Her strokes got rougher, her pussy stretching as she fucked her deeper.

_Yes!_

Nessa’s full, soft lips connected with her neck, sucking softly as she made her way down. She seemed to leave a searing trail of fire as Marnie’s senses got progressively more and more overwhelmed. They started to reach their peak as she felt Nessa’s warm, wet tongue stroke over her nipple, her soft lips closing around it. Her tongue rolled over the peak, then flicked gently at her barbell. Warm, electrifying suction followed, causing Marnie’s back to arch into Nessa. Marnie’s hands shot to the back of Nessa’s head desperately as she bit her lip, attempting to stifle her whines. Nessa hummed with satisfaction against her while she continued to play with her with her tongue, the rhythm of her strokes remaining unrelenting.

_YES._  


-•-

Nessa pulled away, her lips making a quiet pop. Cold air hit Marnie’s chest again, making her shiver beneath her. Marnie’s walls began to spasm around her fingers as Nessa brought her face back up to Marnie’s. Perspiration glittered in the moonlight as Nessa angled her fingers inside of Marnie, her hips rolling into the new pattern.   
  


_She’s close..._

” _You like it like that?”_

_”Yes.”_

_”Harder?”_

Nessa winced as Marnie dug her nails into her scalp.

_”Yes! Please— Ness—“_

She picked up the pace. Her fingers rammed her core.

Their foreheads bumped together passionately, their eyes connected determinedly.   
  


_“Look at me when you cum.”_

_”Fuck— I—“_

Marnie’s walls clamped down hard onto Nessa, who drove her fingers deep inside of her one last time as she reveled at the feeling of Marnie’s climax. Marnie weakly cradled Nessa’s head closely as the fight and tension in her body melted away. Nessa pressed a soft, gentle kiss to her lips before dropping her head tiredly into the crook of her shoulder. Their breaths were ragged and uneven, Marnie winced as Nessa pulled out of her. They laid there together, tangled in each other as they regained composure.

_What..._

_What have I done...?_

They clutched onto each other hard as their ragged breaths turned into collective, quiet sobs. 


	35. Good Morning Galar...?

Marnie cradled Nessa's face to her chest, tears soaking down to her sheets. Marnie's own tears ran down in tiny rivers down to her chin, their breathing was ragged.

Still, even as they cried, there was a strange comfort in being able to cry in _her_ arms...

Marnie sniffed, attempting to regain composure. She cupped Nessa's cheek, leaning back to tilt her face up to meet her gaze. She brushed away the cascade of tears soaking her cheek. They both took a deep, shuddering breath in.

Then out. 

_Better just say what I'm thinking..._

"Nessa..." Marnie's feet shifted beneath the covers, her hand wriggling down to her sheet to bring it up in an attempt at modesty, "Nessa... I think I just... I think I ruined your life..."

"..."

They awkwardly held each other's gaze, Nessa's face was plagued with anguish. 

_I really shat the bed on this one. Fuck..._

Marnie's lips parted, as if to say something, her voice caught weakly in her throat. Nessa watched expectantly. She let out a disappointed groan instead, hugging Nessa close once again.

Nessa's voice was muffled in her chest.

"What was that...?" Marnie pulled away, her eyebrows raised.  
  


"You..." Nessa's voice sighed weakly, "... didn't ruin my life..." She scooted up, coming out of her hiding place to look Marnie squarely in the eye. Her hand brought the duvet up with her, she tucked it around Marnie's exposed body sweetly as her sobs began to subside. She sat up, carefully swiping beneath her eyes, then patting her cheeks with resolve. She gave one last weak sigh and turned squarely to face Marnie. Marnie shied away slightly. "Okay. So. Let's state the facts of everything right now. We need to be grown-ups about this."

"Right..." Marnie bunched the duvet to her chest, leaning to the side as she swiped at the chain of her lamp on her nightstand. Their eyes squinted as the soft, shaded, yellow light filled the room. Nessa cleared her throat assertively. 

"So we," She gestured between the two of them, "just had sex."

"Yes."

"I think," Nessa's voice had a cajoling cadence to it, "that it's fair to say that you initiated things."

Marnie scrunched her face and looked up at the ceiling as she processed Nessa's statement. Her shoulders slumped defeatedly as she reconnected her eyes with Nessa's.

"Ugh, sure. Fair."

"Good, and _I,"_ she pointed exaggeratedly at her chest, "take _full_ responsibility for _— you know—_ " she created an 'o' shape with one fist and stuck the index finger of her free hand into the 'o' brashly.

Marnie rolled her eyes and let out a small chuckle begrudgingly as she nodded, " _More_ than fair."

They paused as the nerves between them began to relax. Nessa held up her hands defensively. 

"I'm just gonna say it _—"_ Marnie's face contorted in anticipation, waiting for disaster to come, "personally? I thought— from a _completely_ objective standpoint— that if we lived in a world with _zero_ conseque—"

"Nessa. Get to the point. Please." Marnie's cold demeanor returned as her eyes scanned the floor for a shirt.

"I liked it."

"What."

"I... liked it...?"

"W-what, wait, no, Ness—"

"What? I think we should get it all out there, I'm just saying..."

"Oh fuck— this is such a mess—" Marnie's face fell into her hands, the duvet falling slightly, her smooth, soft back now illuminated softly by the light. Nessa timidly brought her hand forward to rub her back. Marnie hummed quietly as Nessa's fingertips stroked circles into her back.

"So like, are you saying... you hated it...?"

Marnie's head peeked up through criss-crossed fingers at Nessa. Even through the obstruction, Nessa could tell that she was giving her an incredulous look. 

"Am I gonna say I hated getting fucked by a supermodel?" Dry, harsh sarcasm penetrated every word as she dragged her fingers down her face impatiently. "No. No Nessa, I'm not gonna say I hated it." She threw the covers off of her and stood up, stretching as she made her way to a pile of half-heartedly folded clothes on her chair. "Don't be weird, I literally need to not be naked ri—" she turned around to see Nessa's wandering eyes, " _Nessa—_ " She crouched down, covering her assets with her hands as much as she could as she backed away. A raging blush colored her fair, white skin. Nessa whipped her head to the side, her perfect profile casting a gorgeously geometrical shadow on Marnie's wall. Her eyes darted naughtily back to Marnie, she hurled a stray pillow to her face in retaliation as she hopped into the maroon shorts again. _"Unbelievable._ God—Nessa— this is SO weird. You literally have to admit that. We were literally never supposed—" Her voice got lost momentarily as she pulled a random t-shirt over her head. Her face emerged, her bangs scattering over her eyes messily as she made her way back to the bed, "— we can't take this back, you know."

Nessa reached her hand out to pat Marnie's knee as the gears turned in her head. She shot her an awkward, half smile, half grimace. "I meaaaan, yeah it was weird sort of—" she scooted closer devilishly as Marnie did her best to tame her hair. She rolled a hair tie to her wrist and brought her arms up to put her hair into a messy bun, "Marnie, think about it— _you_ were the one doing all that stuff..."

Marnie's hair whipped back and forth as she looped it through her hair tie. Her eyes narrowed dangerously at Nessa who put her hands up defensively. "What _stuff._ "

"Ehhh I mean— you knowwww— the... stuff...?" She scooted closer, shimmying her shoulders charmingly. Marnie's demeanor remained composed and unchanged. Nessa rolled her eyes and huffed. "You're seriously gonna make me spell this out for you. Seriously?" Marnie shrugged indifferently. "Ugh—" she leaned back into the headboard, hugging her knees and looking up at the ceiling, "I don't know how you can be like this right now." she shot her eyes back to Marnie's, clearly annoyed. "You, not even fifteen minutes ago were right here," she pointed sharply at Marnie's side of the bed, " _begging_ me to look you in the eye as I fucked you. There was like—an _insane_ amount of eye contact. _You know it."_ Nessa smirked as Marnie's face flooded with a scarlet blush, holding her own hands up in defeat. 

"I mean— yeah I guess." 

"Um, 'yeah I _guess'_? That was like _sex_ sex. Just admit it. There's something going on here—" she once again gestured between the two of them. She lowered her voice to a hushed tone, leaning in close to Marnie's blushing face, " _Marnie, every time our eyes connected, every time our faces touched..."_ she tucked a stray strand of hair behind Marnie's ear, " _when I watched you cum beneath m—"_

"OoooOOooOkay!" Marnie threw the covers off of her once again, the duvet slapping against Nessa's face unceremoniously. "That's enough!" She stood up, clenching her fists firmly at her sides as she paced her room, sobriety slamming into her like a train. Nessa's voice was muffled as she wrangled her face out of the covers. Marnie's breaths picked up unevenly, her eyebrows furrowing in concern. 

_Why did I do that? Why did I DO that._

She paused from pacing back and forth. She shut her eyes hard pinched the bridge of her nose as she tried to process the situation truthfully. Flashes of Nessa's lustful face hovering over her, the heat of her lips against hers... she slowly brought her free hand to her shoulder, her fingertips brushing over where Nessa had bitten her earlier.

_Oh my god..._

"You _know_ there's something going on."

Marnie was snapped back to reality by Nessa's assertive statement. She looked back up at Nessa with panic in her eyes. 

"There can't be."

"Marnie—"

"Sonia. What about Sonia? _Shit—"_ Marnie's head dropped shamefully, " _Shit... she's my friend..."_ her voice trailed off somberly. 

"Listen, Marn—"

"And Gloria??" Marnie palmed her forehead in exasperation as the pacing resumed, tension building between the two of them, "Gloria can never find out. _Nobody_ can _ever_ find out. Nessa. We can't—"

Marnie felt Nessa's hands grasp firmly at her shoulders behind her. She craned her neck up as Nessa wrapped her arms around her, soothing her nerves ever so slightly. Tears began to well in her eyes once again as she held onto Nessa's arms gently. Nessa's cheek squished against her softly.

"Marnie. I know. I know all that..." her voice was serious, low, and soothing. "It's scaring me too... but we aren't going to get anywhere by lying about this. To anyone, or to each other..." She spun Marnie around in her arms, gently positioning her to face her. Her fingertips angled her chin upward. "So let's figure this out... Together?"

"Together."

Nessa sighed sadly. "Nobody is saying that what we did... wasn't wrong... it was. It's just that..." Her voice trailed off as she squeezed Marnie harder.

Marnie sunk into Nessa's warm embrace. She had no fight left in her. She cleared her throat, nuzzling her face into Nessa.

"Ness— did you mean it? Earlier?"  
  


"Mean what?"  
  


"When you said you wanted me. That you wanted me so bad..."

Nessa pulled away, swallowing hard. Her eyes glowed a deep blue in the warm, soft light.

_Why am I so afraid to know...?_

Suddenly, both of their heads whipped to Marnie's door.

The sound of footsteps broke the silence in the room. 

-•-

Bea's blood began to pump a little harder as her internal clock started to nag her into consciousness. The world came into focus as her eyes opened up, dusk was just beginning to peek through in the distance, filtering in purple and blue hues through her window. She took a deep breath in, sinking into the bed on her back. She felt an unfamiliar weight on her stomach, as well as a strange warmth radiating beside her.   
  


"Mmmm..."

_What?_

She turned her head and was suddenly greeted by Gloria's peaceful, sleeping face. Their noses brushed against each other. 

_OH._

Bea craned her neck up, her abs flexing a bit as she gently lifted the sheets to take a peek.

_AwhhhhOUCH. AHHHHHH_

Pins and needles started to shoot through her right leg as she wiggled her ankle, Gloria's leg weighing down the circulation on her thigh. She saw Gloria's arm draped lazily across her, even tightening as Bea attempted to change positions. She winced as she continued to try to wiggle her trapped leg. 

_Huh... I almost forgot... I can't believe I actually... fell asleep._

_But also._

_It's so hot. What time is it?_

_I probably need to go..._

"Hnnnnngh," Bea stretched her left arm to the nightstand valiantly, doing her best not to wake up Gloria. 

_No dice._

Bea pursed her lips, slowly shifting her weight to the side for a better stretch to her phone. She propped herself up gently, leaning over slightly as she gave it one more try. Her arm swiped at the nightstand, successfully retrieving her prize. 

_Yes!_

Gloria mumbled in her sleep, clamping her grip down on Bea's waist pinching her squarely in the obliques. Bea bit her lip and stifled her flinch, curling her toes tightly as she did her best not to laugh. She winced at the pins and needles continuing to shoot through her foot. 

_AHHHHHHHH_

Gloria sleepily scooted closer, nuzzling her face into Bea's shoulder and letting out a sleepy groan. Heat radiated beneath the sheets as Bea struggled through the discomfort of Gloria cutting off circulation and grasping directly onto her most ticklish spot. She slowly and gently brought the phone to her face, noticing the case was different than hers. She turned the phone around in her hand, then craned her neck back to the nightstand, sinking back into bed with disappointment.

_Wrong phone. Well, I just need to check the time anyway..._

She pressed her fingertip to the home button, activating the home screen. It read 4:45 am. Right on top of Marnie's face. 

Bea's arm drooped over the side of the bed as she turned her face to look at Gloria, rolling her eyes. 

_This is good. This is a good situation. Everything is totally fine._

"..."

Gloria's breathing was even and deep, against Bea's shoulder. 

"..."

The sunrise began to peek more through her window, time continued to tick. Bea's hands balled impatiently into fists, popping her knuckles quietly. 

_Ugh! Not fine. Not fine, Bea, this is NOT good. I need to run. I need to move. But if I move, I'll wake Gloria up. If I wake her up, she's gonna be so sad and mad at me._

_Also._

_Why is Marnie still her background? I mean, I guess she's been busy, but still... Am I a rebound? She keeps telling me I'm not, but what if last night was just all an elaborate scheme to... Wait. No, maybe not._

Bea's hand lifted the sheets once again, her eyes scanned around. 

_I mean... we both_ _still have our clothes on... except... haha awhhh I think Gloria doesn't like to sleep with pants on..._

A dopey smile spread across Bea's face as she lowered the sheets once again, staring at the ceiling. 

_Okay, I'm definitely over-thinking. I am over-thinking right now. Don't need to think too hard. Just gotta... not... think..._

Bea mashed her eyes close and endured for a moment. Birds began to chirp outside, more sunlight poured into the room. Bea nervously shook her free ankle, bouncing the bed slightly. 

_Okay Bea. You can do this. You've got this. All we have to do is wiggle this pillow out from beneath you, lift Gloria's arm up, replace it with the pillow, nudge your leg back and forth until it's free, then crawl qui—_

"Bea...?" Gloria's sleepy voice snapped Bea back into reality. Her eyebrows raised as she turned to face Gloria. Sweet relief flooded Bea's body as she repositioned herself to roll onto her back, releasing Bea's waist and leg. "... yer bouncin' th' bed, baby...ngh..." Bea's eyebrows raised even more. A proud smile began to spread on her face. 

_CUTE. THIS IS SO CUTE. SHE. SHE IS SO. CUTE. SHE CALLED ME BABY. AHHHH!_

Bea gingerly turned over, gently cupping Gloria's face to press a quick kiss to her cheek. She propped herself up and carefully swiped her fingertips across her bangs, leaving her room to press another kiss to her forehead. She brought her voice down to an almost silent whisper,

" _So sorry... I gotta go... Sleep tight, I'll be back..."_

Bea silently crept out of bed, re-tucking the sheets lovingly around Gloria's body. After placing Gloria's phone back onto the nightstand, she scanned the floor and picked up Gloria's pair of dukes, folding them neatly and placing them on top of her desk. Her eyes were caught by the photo album that was placed on top of the desk. Two, old polaroids of her father were stacked on top of the cover. She picked them up, peering behind her to look at Gloria, then back at the polaroids in her hands.

_Welp..._

_That's that I guess..._

Bea quietly flipped the album open and stuffed the two pictures into the very back flap of the binder. She closed it with a sigh. 

She took one last look at her old room before making her way downstairs to brew herself some tea. 

She couldn't stand being still for a second longer. 


	36. Hangovers and Hanging on the Edge

" _Hey!_ " Piers's gruff voice filtered from behind Marnie's door, his knuckles wrapping on the hard surface angrily. Nessa and Marnie's eyes darted to the door handle as it began to turn. 

"Uhhh—"

Nessa and Marnie stumbled backwards, breaking away from their embrace as the door swung open. Marnie's face burned as she tried not to think about the growing tension of her and Nessa's interrupted conversation, crossing her arms over her chest defensively as she turned to face Piers. He was standing, his face sullen with fatigue, a frown wrinkling his face slightly. He opened his mouth to complain, but stopped, scanning Nessa up and down, then Marnie up and down. He raised an eyebrow, squinting his eyes suspiciously. 

"...Wha's goin' on here...?" he straightened his posture and tapped his foot rhythmically against the ground. 

_Oh my god he was right. He knows. He knows everything—_

Marnie's eyes darted to the bed, then to Nessa who walked in front of Marnie defensively. Her confidence took Marnie by surprise, her tone of voice completely calm and nonchalant.

"Morning big boy," She put her hand on her hip as she gave him a quick scan of her own, smirking and looking unimpressed, "Did you wake up early to start your juice cleanse before you hit the gym...?"

The awkward air diffused between the three, Piers rolled his eyes, Marnie cracked a small smile. Piers brought his hand to his neck and massaged it, grimacing as his shoulder popped loudly. "No way, only thing I'll be hittin' is the sack... I passed out downstairs. I just wanna know what you two are doing up so early—" he leaned over and peered behind Nessa, his eyes focusing on Marnie, "especially _you_ li'l marzipan. Bet you're hungover as _fuuuuck..._ " 

Marnie looked down at her hands, finally giving herself a moment to do a quick wellness check on herself. The alcohol that was pumping through her veins was now replaced by adrenaline, but that was sure to wear off soon. She shrugged standoffishly, following Nessa's lead in confidence and jumped into bed.

"Ehhh," she waved her hand in Pier's general direction, criss-crossing her legs, "I'll be fine. Besides, this isn't my first hangover..." Piers leaned against the doorframe, jamming his hands sheepishly in his pockets and scrunching up his shoulders. He breathed in deep, his eyes scanning his sister's messy room. 

"Welp, guess you're good then—" he bumped himself off of the doorframe, and turned his gaze back to Nessa, "—can I grab you for a sec then...?" 

Marnie's eyes darted to Nessa nervously, her heart starting to pound hard again. 

_Uh oh. I knew it. He totally knows. Did he hear us? I was trying to be quiet—_

"Sure thing!" Nessa's voice was a bright contrast to the two dreary siblings. She cocked her head back and waved cutely to Marnie as she sauntered her way to the door. Marnie's eyes inadvertently dragged down Nessa's figure, locking on her swaying hips as she stepped past Piers. Piers cleared his throat loudly, bringing her attention back to him. She swallowed and shrugged sheepishly, shooting back a sleepy grin to him. 

"...Well... I know I'm not your dad or anything but..." he kicked aside a stray shirt that had fallen out of her laundry basket earlier, "try 'n keep your room clean, okay?" his voice trailed off as he reached for the doorknob, Marnie sunk back into bed slightly. She looked at his sad expression as he closed the door. 

"I'll make sure, Piers..."

-•-

The door shut behind Piers, suddenly blocking out all the light in the hallway. Nessa shifted nervously, wincing at the sound of Piers flicking on the hall light as he slid behind her, walking down to a room at the end of the hall. He opened the door, beckoning Nessa with his chin, holding the door open with his foot. She walked into the dark room, the smell of cigarettes and leather filled her nose. She heard the doorknob turn as Piers shut the door behind him. She felt him put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it lightly as he reached up in the darkness to pull on a chain. A small light clinked on, swinging from a ceiling fan. The beam of light shifted around in a circle, almost like an interrogation lamp. Nessa swallowed hard as Piers slunk past her, taking a seat on a large amp by his guitar stand. His legs were spread, he leaned forward and laced his fingers together. He held his chin with his thumbs and tapped his nose with his index fingers as they made an 'L' shape in front of his face. He pointed lazily to a rolling chair by an industrial desk directly across from him. Nessa took her seat. The light continued to sway.

_Shitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshi—_

"So I been thinkin' a lot 'bout what you said last night."

"Yeah?"

_Does that mean he was awake? How much did he hear?? Did he—_

"Yeah. And I want you to know—" He shifted forward, his eyes boring holes into Nessa's soul menacingly, "I think you're completely right."

A sigh of relief left Nessa's chest as she perked up her eyebrow, "Oh?"

"Yep," Piers unlaced his fingers, placing one hand down on his knee while the other still held his chin, "I think I'm gonna do that whole 'lead by example' thing... Gonna quit smokin' cold turkey, gonna stop drinkin' so much... and..." He cleared his through gruffly, his grip on his knee squeezing, "... gonna sit down with Marnie 'n be honest about some stuff... then I'm gonna go back out on tour... Like a man, y'know...?" 

Nessa felt herself sink into the seat, waves of anxiety washing through her system. Her voice wavered a tiny bit, "Yeah? You're really gonna do all that?" She crossed her long legs, angling herself carefully so she didn't bump into Piers, "That's really..." her voice trailed off slightly, her gears turning, "... That's honestly really great Piers. I knew you had it in you..." She locked her eyes with his as she scanned his face. "So, what're you gonna talk to Marnie about?" 

"That's the thing— you know I haven't been totally honest with her about my business, and she hasn't really been all upfront about hers. If I wanna be a better brother, I should probably tell her about some shit, you know..." he paused briefly, his leg now bouncing up and down anxiously, "like me and Raihan and stuff..." He averted his gaze downwards, Nessa's jaw dropped. 

_Oh my god— time to switch gears here..._

"No way."

"Ugh—"

"I can't believe it. I totally can actually, I sort of knew— but _damn—"_

"Wait—Nessa— it's not really like that—" he sat up, holding his hands out defensively as Nessa's face brightened at the gossip.

"Oh? So what's it like?" she raised her eyebrow, shooting Piers a double entendre as she held her hands out in front of her, as if she were estimating size. Piers rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. 

"I don't even know anymore Nessa, he's such a weird guy... I think we broke up, but then again, I don't even know anymore..." The back of his head knocked against the wall as he stared up at the ceiling somberly.   
  
  


"You—wait—Ohhhh damn okay, I get it..." Nessa put her hands down back into her lap and furrowed her brow in concern as Piers let out another sigh. 

_So that's why he came home... Yikes, everything must suck for all of them right now..._

"Yeah... kinda crazy though, that sibling connection—" he gestured back and forth between himself and the general direction of Marnie's room, "—thing or whatever. I came home to just... run away... turns out Marnie's sort of dealing with the same thing..." he brought both hands to his knees, drumming rhythmically as he brought his head back down to look at Nessa again. "To be totally real, I have absolutely zero idea on how to help her with this either. I'm a mess myself. So—" he stood up and sat at the edge of his bed, picking up one of his electric guitars and plucking at the strings anxiously. "—I guess the only thing I really _can_ do is just... fake it till I make it so Marnie feels like she can do it too...?"

His fingers danced between the frets of the guitar as he plucked. Muted, flat twangs rang out from the unplugged guitar. Nessa shrugged and nodded, scooting the chair closer to him. She patted his knee affectionately, "I honestly think that's a good idea..." her eyes dropped to his fingers as he slid his forefinger up the strings, "... and if you need any help, just holler, and I'll do my best to figure things out with you." her voice was firm, Piers's eyes searched her face for sincerity. He held her gaze with a strange, steely resolve. The plucking suddenly stopped.

"Actually," Pier's right elbow braced on top of the body of the guitar, his hand holding his chin again, "I do need help..." his eyes broke away from Nessa's and darted back to his door. He let out a sad sigh. "You know, the best way I can help Marnie is to give her a good example... but... I'm gonna have to leave again, Nessa..." he turned his gaze to the ground. His voice got significantly quieter. "I wish I could do everything for her... I really do..." his foot tapped against the floor, his left hand started to twiddle with the pickup knob on the guitar, "... I know this is unfair of me to ask— I know how busy you are, and we're not kids anymore..." his hand and foot stopped moving, he brought his gaze back up to Nessa, "...Nessa?" he reached his left hand over the guitar, holding his palm up. Nessa put her hand in his timidly, her brow furrowing once again in concern, "... could you, you know, watch over her till I'm done? Just till the new season starts...?" 

Silence hung between them as Nessa squeezed onto Piers's hand. She swallowed hard, guilt creeping up from her gut. 

"I just can't stand for her to get hurt again while I'm away... and she loves you."

She felt her breath catch in her throat as her lips parted.

Piers's face was slowly loosing confidence.

His grip on her hand loosened.

The chair Nessa was sitting on creaked. 

"Yes. I'll do it."

Piers let out a long sigh of relief as anxiety crept up into Nessa's throat.

_Shit._

She cleared her throat and let go of his hand gently, standing up quickly. "Well, big guy... I'll let you get some shuteye...?" She walked to the door and gently placed one hand on the doorknob, her other hand brushing her fingertips against the door. He huffed and shot her a weak smirk. 

"Heh... sure..."   
  


The door creaked open, Nessa inched into the hallway. The door was about to close.  
  


"Nessa?"  
  


"Yeah?"

"..."

"..."

"Thank you."

Nessa's forehead rested on the door, her eyes beginning to sting. She swallowed back the lump in her throat. 

"Sure thing, Piers."

She shut the door and walked back to Marnie's room, looking behind her for a moment. She saw the light go out in Piers's room.

_Well... Shit... What have I done to myself this time..._

Her hands closed around Marnie's doorknob, she did her best to mentally prepare herself to continue their conversation. 

-•-

The air was already warming up in the brightening morning as Bea ran up the trail. She took a brief moment, jogging in place, to admire the swirling colors in the sky when she arrived to the fork that separated the trail to her old house, from the trail to her new home. She eyed the incline and popped her neck. 

_Off we go!_

Her feet beat rhythmically against the familiar path, her lungs cycling through fresh morning air powerfully. Her mind cleared of all thought. Before she consciously knew it, her keys were jingling in her hands, her body was settled at her front door. 

_Huh..._

She fished out her phone as the key turned in the lock, checking the time. 

_That's a good pace... I should write that down..._

Bea opened the door, grinning at the perfect order she had created for herself and Allister at home. Her large windows flooded the living room with light, her kitchen smelled of fresh cleaning supplies. She tossed her phone onto one of her couches and made her way upstairs, skipping steps. She tiptoed to Allister's room, cracking open his door to take a peek. He was peacefully engulfed by his navy duvet, only his nose and top half of his face poked from the sheets. His eyes were closed gently, his little snores filled the room.

Bea smiled as she quietly shut the door. She walked almost silently down the hall, opening up the door to her own room. She counted her steps to her nightstand, opening up the drawer and lifting out her glasses case. She set it onto the bed, lining it up with the edge. She turned around, walking to her wardrobe, opening up its doors to grab a pair of denim shorts and a clean white tee. She brought them to the bed, folding them neatly and stacking them on top of each other. She tried to retrace her steps backward to her drawers, doing her best not to create new footprints in her vacuum lines. She opened the drawer and pulled out matching underwear, bumping the drawer shut with her butt. She lined all of the articles of clothing on the bed up once again, she stepped back to admire her work. She then walked into her bathroom, her eyes scanning the perfectly white, marble countertops, the white, painfully clean tile, the glitteringly clean, modern tub in the corner, and the black and white shower that stood beside it.

She walked toward the shower, inspecting the glass and frowning at a stray hard water droplet that had left a mark. Her mind suddenly turned to her father, the polaroids once again resurfacing in her brain. She froze.

_Nope. Not today. Not part of this routine._

She turned around, shaking her head of the thought of him. She crouched to open to open the cupboard beneath her double sink, brushing her fingers over the polished wood before grabbing a white towel. She closed the door carefully, trying her best not to make too much noise. She stood back up and stared at the water droplet's outline on the pane of glass. 

_Shake it off, Bea._

The shower turned on, new water drops began to beat against the tile, swirling into the drain. 

_You're nothing without your routine._

She pulled her shirt over her head, pausing to make sure to fold it outside-out, to make washing easier. She placed it on her counter top. She unhooked her bra's clasp and shrugged it off as well.

_Business as usual, he's not here, and that's a good thing. Doesn't matter._

She dug her thumbs into the waistband of her shorts, lifting each leg out methodically. She folded them and placed them beside her shirt and bra on the countertop. Steam began to wisp around in the bathroom. 

_Those were just pictures. Just pictures..._

Her panties dropped to the tile, she bent down to scoop them up. She folded them carefully as well. She placed them down on top of her shorts, then looked up at herself in the mirror, her eyes beginning to sting. She ran her fingers through her hair, her palms combing back her hair and resting at her temples. Her breathing began to shorten, her eyes darted to a small, barely noticeable scar just above her left eyebrow. She shut her eyes hard, her thoughts racing.

A deep voice reverberated in her memory, scolding her fiercely.

" _You're nothing without this routine, Bea!"_

She snapped her eyes open, whipping around and stepping into the shower. The water was entirely too hot against her skin as she let it flow over her. She felt paralyzed under the stream. 

For a second, she just stood there. 

One hand finally reached for the shelf of products, her other reaching for the knob that controlled the heat. She willed herself back to reality, pouring soap into her hand, focusing on its cool, creamy texture. She scrubbed at her body hard.  
  


_Wash it off. Just. Wash it off. Don't think._

Suds gathered at the drain beneath her feet.

_He doesn't think about you either._

Steam fogged the panes of glass that surrounded Bea, obscuring her silhouette as she continued her shower.

_We're safe..._

The sound of the shower reverberated in the bathroom quietly, Bea's home illuminated slowly as the sun continued to rise. 

-•-

_Okay. Let's do this thing. Grown up. Grown up vibes, babyyyy._

Nessa's hands squeezed the doorknob, turning it confidently as she swung Marnie's door open. She laid in bed, her head propped up by pillows, looking at her phone with her legs crossed. She raised her eyebrows and glanced over her screen at Nessa. Nessa inched her way in through the doorframe, closing the door behind her quietly.

"Welcome back—" She put her phone down and sat up, "did he hear us?"

Nessa walked over to the bed and sat at the foot of it, letting out a long sigh. "No, I don't think he did..." she brought here eyes to meet Marnie's. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of her. "He just wanted to check on you..." Marnie raised an eyebrow and scooted toward Nessa, sitting at the edge of her bed beside her. "He really loves you a lot, you know...?" 

Marnie leaned back slightly and pointed to her lap, smiling gently at Nessa's comments. Nessa readjusted herself, laying down in Marnie's lap, facing upward to keep looking at her. Marnie's fingertips laced gently through her hair. "I know that. He's dumb about it, but I know..." 

Nessa closed her eyes as Marnie continued to play with her hair. 

"Sooo..."

"Hggnnnn I know..."

Nessa opened her eyes up and bravely held Marnie's gaze. Piers's words rebounded in her mind, guilt continued to eat away at her core. 

_Honesty. Be honest. Just— say the words that convey what you feel._

"Marnie." She reached her hand up to her head, pulling Marnie's hand away from her head and lacing her fingers with hers. "This is gonna suck. This whole situation is gonna suck." She shifted in bed, propping herself up to face her. "I..."

"..."

"You..." Marnie's voice trailed off expectantly. 

"Yes. I want you. It made sense to me when I said it. It still makes sense in its own weird way now."

"Fuck..." Marnie closed her eyes in confusion, letting go of Nessa and rubbing circles into her temples. "Ugh... What am I supposed to do?"

"... Keep having sex with me maybe?"

Marnie shot Nessa an intense glare. "Not an option. Nessa. I was kind of drunk. I was vulnerable and lonely. What does— how exactly does this play out for you?"

Nessa winced at Marnie's look, then winced again at her words. "I don't know— do I _really_ have to know? I mean, shit happens all the time, we were lucky enough to have some good-ish shit happen to us!" She sat back up and scooted closer to Marnie, "Marnie, be honest with me right now..." she wrapped her arm around her shoulder, pulling her in close, "are you _really_ thinking about Gloria right now?" Nessa raised her eyebrow charmingly.

"Why can't we just— let's just admit that it was a mistake, then go back to our daily lives. How about that? We don't have to upend everything and hurt just about everyone we know for some good sex."

"There! So you admit it was good! See?" Nessa stood up, putting her hands on Marnie's thighs and kneeling before her. "Who said anything about upending everything? Why can't we just..." Her hands stroked Marnie's thighs up and down, "... be happy being with each other like this...?"

"Weren't you the one all gung-ho about being honest?" Marnie's face blushed fiercely at Nessa's touch. 

"I mean yeah... but maybe we don't have strings attached..." She placed her hands on the bed, pressing down beside Marnie's legs. She began to leverage herself back up to Marnie's face, her legs spreading again unconsciously. "... I think you deserve to be happy Marnie, we don't have to make this into a big deal if you don't want to..." she bumped her nose against Marnie's, her eyes closed, her long lashes coming dangerously close to her skin. Their lips were about to touch. Marnie's hands came up to Nessa's shoulders, pushing her down firmly on her knees once again. 

"Oof—"

"I'm not like that. _You're_ not like that. Nessa. What are we _doing_?" Marnie's voice was harsh and hushed, scolding Nessa as she propped her elbow back onto her thigh so she could hold her face with her hand. "Like— how are you not thinking about anyone else? What about Sonia? Do you even love her?"

Marnie's question took Nessa aback, her eyes narrowed back up to Marnie. "Do _I love her_? Of course. Of course I love Sonia—" She leaned back, sitting on her butt as she looked up at Marnie's judging face, "—what about _you_ miss 'I-only-ever-want-Gloria'? Do you still love _her?"_ Her eyes narrowed more as she criss-crossed her legs, crossing her arms as well defiantly. "Were you thinking about how much you _love_ her when you were sliding my finger inside you? Were you thinking about how in _love_ you are with her when you were moaning my name over—" she shifted forward, crawling once again toward Marnie's cowering figure, "and _over,"_ she propped herself up again, raising herself to Marnie as she scooted back into bed. Nessa's knee boldly landed between Marnie's legs as she continued to crawl toward her blushing face, " _and over again...?"_

Marnie averted her gaze from Nessa, her fingers clutching the sheets, her knuckles turning white. Nessa's fingertip slid beneath her chin, angling her face toward her firmly. "Why did you do it?"

Marnie's eyes began to water.

"I don'—"

"Don't lie to me. Just be honest. Why did you do all of that?"

Tears spilled over her lower lashes. She shook her head weakly.

"Nessa—I can'—"

"Marnie. I was honest with you. I told you the truth. Now tell _me_ the truth." She softened her voice as Marnie unraveled before her. She brought her other hand up and cupped her cheek, wiping away the tears in vain as they continued to pour down. She brought her voice down to a whisper, " _Why did you come on top of me...? Why did you want me to look at you when I fucked you?"_

Marnie's forehead fell forward and landed on Nessa's shoulder, her breaths shuddering as she stifled her sobs quietly. She held her head in her hands. Nessa wrapped her arms around her tightly. Marnie sniffed loudly, dropping her hands from her face to hold onto Nessa's arms. Nessa rocked her gently in her arms. A muffled sentence vibrated against her shoulder. 

" _Baby, I can't hear you..."_ Nessa craned her neck back and gently brought one of her hands to the nape of Marnie's neck. Marnie unhid her face from Nessa's shoulder, looking timidly back up to Nessa to confront her. 

"I did it—" her sentence was interrupted by a small hiccup, "because—" she let out a long shuddering sigh as she tried to get a hold of herself. "Because I wanted to. Because I wanted to feel—" her lip began to quiver as she powered through her thought. Shut her eyes hard. "I wanted you. I wanted to know what it was like if you were—" she squeezed hard onto Nessa's arms, Nessa listened to her patiently. "You were just there, Nessa. You were just there..." Her voice trailed off sadly. Nessa pulled away a little, cocking her eyebrow.   
  


"What do you mean?"

"I mean— you're always— you're always touching me." 

"Okay...?"

"A-and holding me. And saving me. I had a stupid impulse. It was stupid."

"No, I don't think i—"

"It was!" Marnie's voice raised slightly, catching Nessa off guard. "It _was_ stupid. I wanted to feel whole again, I wanted to feel loved, so I just acted on this stupid fucking urge. And you—" She squeezed at Nessa's arms again, "...you..." her voice lowered, "... you were supposed to say no... You were supposed to talk sense into me... you were supposed to save me again..."

Nessa let Marnie clutch onto her as she finished her thought.

_Oh. Shit..._

"Oh..."

"I wasn't thinking about Gloria..."

"Alright..."

"I wasn't thinking about anyone other than myself..."

"I get that..."

"And..." Marnie hesitated, Nessa looked at her weakly, "and... it wasn't... it wasn't supposed to feel that good..." Marnie's voice trailed off again.

"Huh...?"

"It wasn't supposed to be that good, Nessa."

Nessa scooted back, clearly offended. "Wait what now? It wasn't _supposed_ to be that good?? What do you take me for?"  
  


Marnie let go, scooting back as well, holding her hands up defensively, "I mean, you're like. Older than me and you have a house and a mortgage and you've been in the same relationship for like— a really long time so—"

"So what, I'm like, _old_?" Nessa narrowed her eyes at Marnie who continued to back away, repositioning herself towards the headboard. 

"No—I mean, _obviously_ you're older than me—" Marnie felt a weight lift off of her chest as she saw the Nessa she had always known reappear before her. 

"Okay but I'm not _that_ much older than you, jeez!" Nessa leaned back against her elbows, her tone of voice lightening as she shot Marnie an incredulous look.

"Well it wasn't supposed to go that way anyways! _I_ was the one who wanted to top, you got all grabby—" Marnie leaned forward, kneeling as she held out her hands, grabbing at the air as if she were groping a pair of boobs. 

" _You._ A top? How?" Nessa scoffed at Marnie, this time, Marnie's face flushing with offense. Her hands fell to her lap in disbelief.

"What does _that_ mean? Of course I'm a top. Wait— did you think all this time I was getting topped by—" she set one hand down, bracing forward in bed while her other hand gestured to her chest.

"Uh. Yeah. Gloria looks way more like a top than _you_ do, shorty." Nessa smirked, settling in bed as Marnie angrily crawled toward her.   
  
  


" _I'm literally taller than Gloria what are you even saying right now—"_ she whispered angrily, straddling Nessa with a huff, gesturing to her body generally so she'd pay attention to her height. She suddenly paused and looked down at Nessa's smug face with dismay. 

Nessa couldn't help but laugh. 

"It's _not_ funny. Stop." Nessa continued to laugh, fanning her hands in front of her face. "Nessa—you—" Marnie grabbed her wrists, pinning them down above her head, Nessa's eyes widened slightly, "—jerk..."

Their faces were dangerously close again. Marnie swallowed hard. 

Nessa shifted beneath her, her breathing picking up a little bit. She parted her lips to say something.

_She's looking at my lips again_ _..._

_"I'm saying..."_ Nessa looked expectantly up at Marnie's face, watching a blush bloom slowly, " _I want you to prove it to me..."_

Marnie narrowed her eyes at Nessa, letting go of her wrists and sliding her hands down her arms, leaning in close. 

Nessa closed her eyes as Marnie's lips pressed against hers, softly and gently. 

_She's kissing me again..._

Nessa deepened the kiss, parting her lips as Marnie's tongue explored her mouth. "Mmmmm..."

She felt Marnie suck lightly on her bottom lip, Nessa's hands reached up to cup her face. She started to melt. 

"NNGGH—"

Nessa's eyes shot open, pain shooting through her bottom lip. Marnie had bitten down onto her lip firmly, humming happily as Nessa's fingertips dug into her scalp. 

_AH FUCK._

Marnie eventually let go, sitting up and wiping the corner of her mouth smugly. Nessa brought her fingertips to her bottom lip, gingerly rubbing it and glaring back up at Marnie. She pursed her lips, wincing at the radiating pain.

_"You're gonna pay for that..."_


	37. The Two-Sided Coin

Gloria’s phone vibrated madly on the nightstand, shocking her out of her deep sleep. Her arms flailed wildly as she scooted over toward the nightstand. Her heart pounded loudly as she scanned the room, consciousness slowly seeping into her brain. She frowned as she picked up her phone.

_No sign of Bea anywhere..._

She scratched her head, bringing the vibrating phone to her face. A childhood photo of her, Hop, Sonia, and Leon flashed on the screen, Sonia’s name blinking in bold letters over the accept and decline buttons.

_Shit! I totally forgot to text her back..._

She tapped the green button, bringing the phone to her ear.

”Hey Sonnie!” Gloria mustered the brightest, most awake voice she could as she sat up in Bea’s bed, stretching her free hand to the ceiling. She couldn’t help but yawn.

”Awhh,” Sonia’s voice crackled slightly through the phone speaker, her familiar tone made Gloria smile, “did I wake you up? I just missed you so much— I _had_ to hear your voice!” A bright giggle sang through the phone, a bright smile spread on Gloria’s face, she let out a happy hum.

Gloria tossed the covers aside, standing up to explore Bea’s old room, “Nahhh... I mean sort of... what did you wanna talk to me about?” She once again dragged her fingertip through the row of medals, watching them glint in the sunlight flooding the room.

”Ahhh well... the other night, Marnie came by the house...” Gloria straightened up and rolled her eyes, letting out a sigh. “... sooo yeah... I just wanted to call you to check in on you, Nessie’s with Marnie right now...” 

Gloria stood up on her tip toes to examine the sparkling trophies that sat above the medals, reaching her hand up to drag her fingertips over the nameplate on one. She traced Bea’s name. “I mean— I’ve been better? Marnie’s the one who dumped _me_ soooo... I dunno Sonnie, she’s the last person on my mind right now...” she walked over to Bea’s desk, smiling at how neatly her shorts were folded. “She really got me fucked up you know... did you know—“ she pulled the drawer to the side of Bea’s desk open, revealing a neatly stacked array of composition notebooks, “—when I asked her what I was to her, she literally said, and I _QUOTE_ —“ she lifted one out of the drawer, opening it up some place in the middle. She squinted down at Bea’s incredibly neat handwriting, it looked like notes from a calculus class, “that all I was to her was a ‘ _good fuck.’ A GOOD FUCK!_ ” Gloria continued to absentmindedly flip through the pages of the notebook, finding a strange satisfaction in Bea’s astute and thorough note-taking and neat graphs.

”... Yikes... Have you talked to her since then?” Gloria heard wind whip at Sonia’s receiver as she closed the notebook, fishing another one out of the drawer angrily.  
  


”Psh. Yeah. She came over to Stow-on-Side and barged into my hotel room spewing more bullshit—“ she opened the notebook, letting out a silent ‘ooooo’ as she scanned its contents. Physics diagrams were neatly drawn on the pages, labeled neatly with descriptions and highlighted with different colors, “— she decided now was the best time to ‘confess’—“ Gloria mimed air-quotes even though Sonia couldn’t see, “— that she loves me. I gave her two damn good years of my life. Two full years of literal _adoration—_ ” she returned to flipping the page of the notebook, stumbling across a neat checklist that went over a unit on vectors, “— and in those two years she never _once_ said she loved me. And I just took it. Maybe she’s right!” She shut the notebook angrily, reaching back down into the desk to pull out another notebook, the collection of books growing slowly on top of the desk, “Marnie did call me a little bitch after all— and I just took her shit. _Like a little bitch!”_

Sonia sighed on the other line, Gloria opened up the new notebook, this one dedicated to literature, examining literary devices used in a famous collection of sonnets. She squinted at the impossibly straight highlighted lines on the notebook, skimming through her commentary. This notebook appeared to be a graded one— red, circled 100’s were scribbled in the margines every couple of pages. “Ugh Gloria... love is complicated, you know? And Marnie? She’s...” Sonia paused, Gloria heard wind blow into the receiver once again. “She can be rough around the edges sometimes...” Gloria rolled her eyes and scoffed, flipping to a new page that covered an old play that dealt with unrequited love. “I know you probably don’t wanna hear that... but anyways... I saw on the news that you were in SoS, what’s going on there?” Gloria was midway through reading a sentence that Bea had written analyzing a rhetorical device, her head raising as she scanned the room.

”Um...” she looked down, she still wasn’t wearing pants, “well I got a call that I needed to meet with Rose in the Stow-on-Side gym about pre-season—“ she scooted back, grabbing her shorts from the desk and cradling the phone to her ear with her shoulder, “my first match is with Bea, so he wanted to run through some stuff. Then—“ Gloria stumbled a bit as she brought her first leg through her shorts, “— he showed me this _ridiculous_ —“ a grunt left her chest as she hopped, wriggling her shorts up and zipping them up, “— new uniform that’s basically spandex undies with the champion logo printed on my tits. Apparently everyone hated the old uni— which I get— but...” she sat back down in the chair and resumed reading through Bea’s old notes.

”Um ew, Rose is such a sleaze... but like... what’re you still doing there? You _are_ still there, right...?” Gloria leaned back in the chair, balancing cautiously on its back legs.

”Well, part of this whole deal is about me getting into shape to wear the horrible uniform—“ she wobbled a bit in the chair, grabbing onto the desk and rattling it a bit, “so he’s having Bea oversee me getting into shape. Which... sucks... I’m so whimpy haha...” She set the chair back down on all four’s, leaning forward to keep looking at the notebook.

”Ohhh— makes sense... that would explain all those pictures of you together they keep posting on _Galar Today_...” 

Gloria bit her lip nervously. “Mmhmmm...” 

There was a pause in the conversation.

”... so there’s nothing going on between you two...?”   
  


Gloria put her index finger on the page to keep her place in the sentence she was reading. She looked behind her at the disheveled bed. She cleared her throat awkwardly.

”I mean... I don’t... Bea’s really... Nice!” Gloria brought her attention back to the college-ruled lines in front of her.

”... Gloria...?”   
  


Gloria paused. She braced herself.

”... you’re such a terrible liar, you know that...?”   
  


“Gah! I know, I know... it’s not like it’s anything serious...” She closed her eyes, thinking back to last night when she crawled into bed beside Bea’s peacefully sleeping body, blushing as the image of her pressing a soft kiss against her cheek and whispering a gentle goodnight popped into her mind.   
  


_Oh no... I’ve got it bad..._

”Gloria. My gosh. You really need to be more careful— honestly _especially_ with Bea.”   
  


Sonia’s harsh tone of voice caught her off guard, Gloria frowned, propping her elbow up on the desk.

”Wait— what? Sonnie, I’m _fine_ — why would you—“ 

Sonia sighed loudly into her phone. Gloria cocked her eyebrow in confusion.   
  


“Listen. Gloria. You don’t know her...” 

Sonia’s cryptic sentence trailed off, another gust of wind blew into the receiver.

They paused, Gloria stared at the ceiling.

”What do you mean by that...?”   
  


Gloria flinched when Sonia cleared her throat. “Bea and I...” Gloria scooted back and started to put away the notebooks into the opened drawer, leaving the literature one open. “Well... we’ve never really gotten along too well... she can be pretty terrible, Gloria...”

Gloria pursed her lips, trying to imagine a Bea that wasn’t sweet, kind, and doting. Her statements didn’t compute in her mind. Gloria’s ear perked up, pidove rustling out of the trees in the distance. She walked to the window and split the shades open with her index and middle finger. She saw two figures making their way down the trail. “I don’t... I don’t understand...” 

“Ugh, I feel so lame for even bringing this up...” Sonia scoffed.   
  


Gloria turned around, taking her seat back at the desk, turning the page to reveal a large, beautifully drawn illustration of a coin, laying face-side down in a field. Beneath the drawing, a haiku was written in cursive. “Don’t... tell me...” Gloria’s eyes scanned through the poem.

”... well... Nessie and I were going through a rough patch a while back, remember...?”   
  


“Mmhmmm?”   
  


“Bea and Nessa... they spent a lot of time together because they were representing Galar during the cross-regional games... they got really close...” Gloria furrowed her brow, hearing Sonia’s voice crack. She finished the last line of the Haiku before shutting the notebook and putting it away with the rest of the notebooks in the drawer. She shut it quietly.

”... well Leon threw this huge party at his place in Wyndon, Nessie and I had a little fight, she left early but forgot her phone...”

Gloria could hear rustling from downstairs, she stood up and walked out of the bedroom to the stairway.

”... I went to Nessa’s hotel to apologize and bring back her phone—“ Gloria started walking down the stairs, her muscles feeling much better than the day before, “when I got to the lobby, I saw Bea walking out of the elevator—“ 

Gloria’s feet hit the first floor, shivering slightly at the feeling of cold wood.

”— I nodded and waved to her, and when I got close to her, I could see a hickey peeking through her shirt, close to her neck—“ 

Gloria stopped dead in her tracks in the front foyer of Bea’s house, she watched the doorknob turn.

”— she slept with her—“ 

The door opened, flooding the room with bright, morning light, Bea’s tan figure came into view, Allister’s small frame directly in front of her.

”— she slept with Nessa.”   
  


Gloria felt the blood drain from her face as she greeted Allister and Bea with a weak wave, her stomach twisting into knots. She saw Bea cock her head to the side in concern as Allister scuffed his shoe on the perfectly waxed floor.

”Sonia...”

Bea’s eyes widened at the sound of her name, her tan face turning pale as well.

”... I gotta go.”   
  


With that, Gloria mashed the red button on her phone, shoving it into her butt pocket as she looked at Bea. Her mouth opened, but she didn’t know what to say. She looked down at herself self-consciously.

_She... Slept with Nessa...?  
_

Gloria swallowed hard, closing her eyes and shaking the trauma from her mind. She crouched down and held her arms out to Allister welcomingly.

”Allister!” She feigned happiness perfectly and brightly, “C’mere bud! I can’t wait to get started!” Allister shuffled into her arms bashfully, Gloria wrapped her arms around him tightly, picking him up. She put braced her hand behind his head, craning her neck past his head. She shot Bea a pained, disappointed look as she walked to the doorway. Bea grimaced, scratching her head nervously. Gloria mouthed,

’ _We need to talk.’_

Bea just nodded.

The three of them walked out the door, Gloria placed Allister down and patted his head excitedly. She pushed him lightly ahead as they began to walk the trail. She gave Bea a side eye.

The house’s silhouette disappeared in the distance, Gloria lifted her face to the sun and breathed in deep, trying to clear her mind.

For some reason, Bea’s poem was the only thing she could think about.

_Double sided coin,_

_You can only show one side_

_A shrouded truth stays_

Gloria let out the deep breath, struggling with herself.

She was afraid to know what Bea had to say.

She decided to put all of her focus towards Allister, running up to him. She was so deep in thought, she hadn’t noticed Bea had quickened her pace as well.

They both offered their hands to hold to him, Allister looked at both girls nervously as they made awkward eye contact.

”Uhmm...” 

-•-

_Of all days— Sonia had to call. She just HAD to call— ope—_

Bea looked down, wriggling her fingers and wondering why Allister hadn’t grabbed hold of her yet.

”Uhmm...” 

She looked over, blushing fiercely as she noticed Gloria doing the same. She made awkward eye contact, Gloria shooting her lightly-veiled daggers. She darted her eyes back down to Allister, who’s brain was short circuiting. Bea was about to bring her hand back when Allister suddenly shot both of his hands out, connecting the three of them together as they continued to walk the trail.

”Th-that’s that...?”   
  


Bea and Gloria both blushed, averting their faces from each other completely as they continued to walk.   
  


_Of course. My perfect, thoughtful, wonderful little Ghostie doesn’t want anyone to feel left out... ugh... this is so awkward... hgnnn..._

Allister swung their arms back and forth, oblivious to the tension that hung between Bea and Gloria. Bea peeked over to the side, timidly watching Gloria smile brightly down to Allister. She felt her chest relax a bit, seeing Gloria’s hand holding her brother’s tight. She let out a sigh a little to audibly.

”S-somethin’ wrong s-sis...?”   
  


Bea gently angled her head to look at Allister, squeezing his hand and smiling weakly.

” _Yeah—_ “ Gloria chimed in with more thinly veiled sass, “— you’re not _hiding_ anything, right?”   
  


Bea stopped walking and narrowed her eyes at Gloria, an unpleasant feeling bubbling in her chest. Allister jerked a bit between the two as they reached the fork in the road. Bea clenched her jaw indignantly.

_Uh-uh. No way Gloria._

”Nope.” Bea gritted her teeth and squeezed Allister’s hand a little tighter as she directed her words to Gloria, “And if I was—“ she started walking again, “I wouldn’t talk about anything too worrisome in _front of Allie._ ” 

Allister wriggled his fingers in Bea’s hand, she darted her eyes down and loosened her grip, then brought her gaze back up to Gloria. She huffed and rolled her eyes. Allister awkwardly slumped between the two, squeezing their hands simultaneously. His voice was small.

”G-Gloria... do you know wh-what we’re g-gonna d-do today...?”   
  


Her free hand brushed her bangs from her face, looking down at Allister’s mask. She could just barely see his eyes, wrinkling at the side in concern.   
  


Bea kept her eyes glued forward as they made it into town.

Gloria began to explain her general plans for the day.

Bea listened half-heartedly, tuning her voice out as she tried to stifle the complicated feelings within her.

_How DARE she. In front of Allie? He’s not stupid. He’s gonna ask me about that later. What gives her the right?? What did Sonia do to me this time..._

She huffed, blowing her bangs out of her face, walking forward to with painfully straight posture. She could feel her chest puff out unconsciously.

_I don’t even know why she HATES me so much. I just hung out with Nessa while we trained. We were never more than friends till she... ugh that night was SO STUPID. Why isn’t she mad at Nessa?? She’s the one who lied to me... plus— when I saw her that same morning, she had a hickey in literally the same place too... She’s probably just jelo— Whoa!_

”Watch out—“ Allister’s attention had been locked on Gloria’s face as she spoke, a large puddle of muddy water suddenly appeared before him, Gloria and Bea’s voices called out in unison,

”Uppsy Daisy!”

Allister happily swung between the two of them, Bea and Gloria smiled as they watched him swing safely over the puddle, giggling quietly behind his mask. Several camera flashes and the sound of shuttering filled the air. Allister landed gently, Bea and Gloria made awkward eye-contact again. They blushed, turning away as they surveyed their surroundings, several camera men and women began to crowd them, garbled questions were shouted into the warm spring air.   
  


_Oh no. My baby.  
_

Allister let go of both of their hands, cowering behind Bea. Gloria stepped ahead of them, doing her best to usher back the crowd. Bea cupped Allister’s face in her hands,

”I’ve gotcha bud...” 

She scooped him up in her arms, holding his face closely to the crook of her neck, he held on for dear life tightly. Bea furrowed her brow as she felt him shake anxiously.

Bea fished an ultra ball from her tattered duffel bag, inspecting before throwing it in the air swiftly.

The crowd gasped as her machamp roared, beating its chest fiercely. Bea cleared her throat, adopting her severe, dour, harsh expression as she walked past Gloria. Her voice was low, rich, and menacing, her eyes scanning the semi circle of photographers.

”I’ll say this once.”   
  


The crowd began to back away awkwardly, stray flashes popping throughout.

”Leave—“ she patted her Pokémon’s back as she hoisted Allister up in her free arm, “ _Or I’ll make you._ ”   
  


Machamp began to advance forward, flexing all four of his massive arms. Apologies sputtered from the crowd as the intruders began to run away, one-by-one. Bea looked back down to her duffel back, looking for the ultra ball.   
  


Gloria frowned behind her, shifting nervously.

-•-

_I’m glad I didn’t push my luck earlier..._

Bea recalled machamp, stuffing the ball back into the front pocket of her duffel and zipping it closed violently. She saw Allister pat at her shoulder, a cute little “you can let me down now...” filtering through his mask. Gloria let out a sigh as she rejoined the two, timidly walking beside Bea.

She was fuming.

Her cold, blue eyes darted to her, giving her a stern side-eye.

”Left, Allie.”   
  


Gloria had almost forgotten that they were headed back to her hotel, her thoughts were too jumbled to really process direction.   
  


They entered into the lobby, Bea crouched down in front of Allister, softening her expression immensely.

”You okay ghostie-guy...?” She squeezed his shoulders softly. He nodded.

”C-can I hang out on th-the roof...? I wanna p-people watch while G-Gloria gets r-ready...”

Bea glanced up at Gloria, who shrugged, then back to Allister. She sighed, standing back up and ruffling his messy hair. They made their way up the stairs.

”Sure, I’ll—“ 

“Actually—“ Gloria interjected bravely, cringing as she braved herself for another one of Bea’s glares, “Bea, could you—“ 

They made it to Gloria’s door, she pointed sheepishly to it. “—maybe help me out... with something...?”   
  


Bea looked down at Allister. He nodded. She pursed her lips.

”Sure...” Allister began to shuffle toward the door that lead to the stairway to the roof, Bea called out, “... five minutes bud! I’ll be right there!”   
  


Allister nodded silently again.   
  


-•-

He watched his sister close Gloria’s door behind her before making his way to the roof. He sighed behind his mask.

_I hope they make up soon..._

  
-•-

Sonia sighed.   
  


_She hung up on me..._

She walked over rugged red rocks, wading through sprouts of tall, dry grass. She scanned her surroundings.

_She needed to know the truth though... I’m sure once I dress up the details, she’ll be back with Marnie again..._

Her eyes squinted as she searched for her target, a lone reporter leaning against a ruin outside of the city inconspicuously. He was fumbling with the settings on his camera. Sonia waved at him. 

_I’ll just make life a little more difficult for Bea..._

She neared the reporter, sliding her sunglasses down to her face.

_Bitch deserves it for being a meddlesome little pest buzzing in my ear for years..._

”You’re the champion’s friend?”   
  


Sonia extended her hand, smiling sweetly to the man with the camera.   
  


“I sure am!”   
  


“You said you got some inside scoop on her and her love life right now?”   
  


Sonia laughed smugly, twirling the tips of her hair with her fingertips. She dumbed down her voice for the reporter, “ _Duh!_ I bet you can even catch them today if you’re fast!” She dug her hand into her butt pocket, pulling out a slip of paper with an address scribbled onto it. “You should totes check out this address today—“ the reporter grabbed the slip from her fingertips hungrily, “I bet you can get some real good stuff if you’re patient!”   
  


She finished her statement with a saccharine wink, backing away a bit.   
  


She said her goodbyes to the reporter, he removed the lens cap and ran back into the city.

Sonia smirked proudly. She then squinted her eyes, more figures rustling from the shadows. A large gang of black-clad individuals quickly rushed behind.

_Ooo..._

The parade seemed almost endless, a guilty grimace spread across Sonia’s face.

_Sorry Gloria..._

She turned her head from the crowd, waving toward the flying taxi she had hailed.

_This is for your own good..._

  
Sonia didn’t bother to look back. She didn’t feel any guilt as she slammed the door shut behind her. She picked up her phone, texting Nessa.

_I won’t let her win this time..._


	38. The Comfort of "Next Time"

The door shut behind Bea gently, her lips were pursed tightly.

Her fist clenched and un-clenched by her side as Gloria walked ahead and rummaged through her stuff, grabbing her bag and tossing it roughly onto the bed. Bea took a seat on the luxuriously padded chair by the door as the silence between the two hung awkwardly. Her fingers drummed on the armrest uneasily.

_This is going to be not fun... I don't want to fight with her today..._

Bea's gaze dropped to her lap as she anxiously bounced her leg. Gloria walked by the coffee table in front of the chair, Bea felt her shadow hover over her. She looked up nervously, Gloria's eyes watching her bounce her leg intently. Her expression softened considerably, a small smile starting to form on her face as she turned around silently. She let out a sigh.

_Ugh this is so weird. I hate it. _

_But I'm still so upset..._

Gloria walked into the en suite, bringing her hands to her hair as she gathered it into a ponytail. She held a hair tie between her teeth, pausing to look at herself in the mirror. She turned around, rolling the band onto her wrist and feeding her short hair through roughly. Her eyes met Bea's.  
  


“So I—“

”I was o—“ 

“So sor—“

”No— I—“ 

The hair tie snapped in Gloria’s hands, flinging its way to the coffee table, making Bea jump a bit.

The two stared at the broken hair tie for a second. Bea swallowed anxiously.

Bea stood up, walking over to her and offering her wrist sweetly to Gloria. They both let out an awkward laugh as Gloria's fingertips met Bea's outstretched hand, the tension between the two of them began to melt away as Gloria rolled Bea's hair tie off of her. 

_It feels good to touch her..._

Bea gently grabbed onto Gloria's arm before she had the chance to turn away. She bravely pushed through the discomfort of being the first one to speak. 

"Gloria..."

She stepped closer, following Bea's lead as she brought her own hands up to hold her toned arms. Bea shivered as Gloria's thumbs ran over her biceps.

_I like when she does that..._

"I'm sorry—" Gloria let out a disappointed sigh, squeezing her grip slightly, "Bea— I'm being a bitch. I need to not be a bitch right now..."

_I... also like when she does that... that was easy..._

Bea cocked her eyebrow, surprised at Gloria's apology. 

"I mean—"

"I was. You're too nice to say I wasn't being one— Bea I won't say stuff like that around Allister again, I promise—" she continued to squeeze at Bea's arms harder, her voice raising a bit, "—it's just that—"

_Hnnnghnn—_

Bea refrained from wincing, wanting to push through to let her finish,

"—It's just—" 

_Oooooooowwww_

"—I felt like we got so close last night and—"

Bea's eyes darted down to Gloria's hands inconspicuously, her nails starting to dig in a little.

_Get to the point Gloria....._

"—and Sonia called me this morning and I got all insecure—"

Bea raised her eyebrow even more, holding her breath and pursing her lips hard. 

_Gotta let her finnniishhhhh, you can do ittt—_

"—and I started to doubt everything, but when I saw you again, I started to realize how ridiculous I was being— wait— are you okay—"

_"Nnnnnngghhh"_

A tight groan squeaked from Bea's face, Gloria's eyes dropped to her hands. She gasped sharply, letting go of Bea and pushing her away. White nail marks punctuated the red finger lines that glowed from Bea's tan arms. Gloria brought her hands to her mouth, apologizing profusely as Bea let out a sigh of relief, shaking her hands sheepishly.

"Oh my god—"

"Gloria!" Bea grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her a bit. "It's fine! I just wanted to let you talk..." she slid her hands up gently to cup her face, "plus I'm tough—" _no I'm not, that hurt,_ "—say what you need to say..."

Gloria furrowed her brow in frustration, pouting as Bea squished her cheeks. She brought her eyes up to Bea's face, letting herself smile with Bea timidly. 

_There we go... much better..._

Bea dropped her hands from Gloria's face, opting to sweetly link her pinky with Gloria's forefinger instead as she led her to sit on the side of the bed. Bea's eyes dropped to Gloria's legs as she watched them cross.

_Ooo, MUCH better..._

She felt a dumb grin spread on her face, inadvertently tuning out the world.

"Sonia brought something up that freaked me out."

_Huh?_

"Huh?" Bea cringed, her voice coming out dumber than usual. Gloria yanked both her hands and brought them to her lap. She refused to make eye contact, shutting her eyes and bowing her head down as words spilled out of her mouth. Bea was starting to feel a little overwhelmed. 

_Here comes—_

"SONIA SAID YOU SLEPT WITH NESSA WHILE THEY WERE STILL TOGETHER."

Bea felt a gross shiver shoot up her spine as the memory of that night flashed in her mind's eye. An involuntary "eeeyyyuuughh..." escaped from her grimacing face. Gloria's head raised, her eyebrows raising as well in confusion. Bea brought her hands back to herself, waving them in front of her chest defensively. 

"Makes sense she'd bring that up actually..."

Gloria groaned, throwing herself back into the bed, sheets fluffing around her body as she brought her hands up to cover her face.

"That definitely doesn't help, Bea. Did you really do it??" Her voice was muffled beneath her hands, Bea shifted uncomfortably. She stood up, tugging at the belt loops of her shorts as she struggled to find the words to say. 

"W-well yes and no—" she felt her pulse begin to quicken, Gloria removing her hands from her face to shoot Bea a pained look. Bea brought her fingers to her head, running them through her hair in exasperation, "Sonia _would_ do this to me— Gloria. This happened _two years ago—"_ she dropped her hands to her sides balling them into fists, "—and she's got the wrong idea _entirely—"_

She brought her hand back up, sticking her index finger up animatedly, " _firstly—_ " she did her best to not sound angry as she walked toward Gloria who was sitting up at the edge of the bed, arms and legs crossed as she gave Bea a doubtful look, "Nessa came onto _me—"_ Her middle finger shot up next to her forefinger, she wriggled the 'V' shape as she pointed it at Gloria, " _secondly,_ I didn't even want to do it!"

She stuttered a bit, pausing, " _Mostly_ — Nessa just kind of pressured me into things... I was just trying to make sure she got home okay, since she was all—" Bea swayed her hand back and forth, gesturing to Gloria, "tipsy and _weird._ She basically locked me in her weird, sex hotel for the night.. _._ " Gloria looked taken aback, uncrossing her legs and leaning back onto her palms as she heard Bea out. 

"Soo... How does that make Nessa un-cheat on—" 

Bea turned around, throwing her hands into the air, "It wasn't cheating— at least not from what Nessa told me! I don't get why Sonia is so mad at _me_ when Nessa was the one who flirted and made all the moves! Nessa said she was single!!" Bea turned around, furrowing her brow in frustration at Gloria. She crouched down in front of her knees, putting her hands on top of them gently, " _Gloria,"_ she lowered her voice as she connected her eyes directly with hers. Bea made sure to hold her gaze unwaveringly. "Do I seem like the type of person to do that...? Honestly...? Nessa made a _fool_ out of me..." Bea bowed her head, her forehead resting on top of the back of her hands. She clenched her jaw.

_Shoot. I don't want her to see my face... This is making me so sad..._

"The next morning... when I was leaving... I passed by Sonia. She looked at me like I was trash..." Her voice began to trail off, getting dampened by the carpeted floor, "... I honestly didn't know... I swear..." Bea blinked hard as her voice began to waver. 

_UGH. Don't cry about this._

"It was horrible... And it wasn't even fair—" Bea snapped her head back up to look at Gloria, her eyebrow raised. Gloria's hand had started to reach out to touch her head. Bea closed her eyes as Gloria's fingertips completed their journey to her hair, stroking her softly, "—the part that _Sonia_ probably left out was what _I_ noticed on _her_... it's probably what tipped Sonia off that Nessa and I... you know..." A warm hand cupped Bea's cheek. She opened her eyes, lifting her hand to point at her neck, "I walked past Sonia in the lobby and saw we had matching hickeys. Same place." She let out a huff, "Nessa was just... playing us both, I guess..."

Gloria's hand froze, her fingers laced in Bea's hair.

-•-

_Yikes._

Gloria locked her eyes with Bea's, looking away only to search her face for sincerity. Bea's face was red, her eyes seemed to be getting red around the waterline as well.

_She's... telling the truth... She's holding back just like she was last night..._

Gloria sighed sadly, finishing her caress and resting her hand at the nape of Bea's neck. 

_She looks so sad... If she's telling the truth though..._

The gears began to turn in her head as Bea squished her cheek against Gloria's knee dejectedly. 

_Why would Sonia say that stuff about her... about her being so horrible...?_

Gloria heard quick thumping against the carpet. She sat up, craning her neck and finding Bea's foot anxiously shaking up and down. A foggy memory from earlier that morning floated in her thoughts.

_She was shaking her foot like that this morning, wasn't she...? I think she shook the bed..._

_Does she do that when she's anxious...?_

Gloria patted the top of Bea's head. She lifted it up and Gloria began to back away into the bed, making room for her. She patted the fluffy duvet to invite her on. Bea raised her eyebrow, Gloria gave her a nod. 

_She's like... a wet little puppy... I just wanna hold her..._

Bea crept cautiously into the bed, her face looking innocently up at Gloria's. She felt her heart squeeze. 

_Hmmm... well I'm gonna make a decision right now..._

Bea suddenly paused, raising an eyebrow and cocking her head to the side. She shifted to the side, lifting her hand up and pointing her thumb to the door weakly. Her voice matched her sad demeanor.

"Gloria, I'm sorry, I can g—"

"No way! I want you here." She scooted closer to Bea, reaching her hand out to her. Bea looked surprised.

"I'm sorry— you just looked mad for a second there..."

Gloria frowned, her face had been unconsciously stern while she was deep in thought. She shook her head, making an effort to smile and soften her expression, "no way silly, I was just thinking..." Bea settled into the bed, Gloria's arm wrapped around her to pull her close to her chest. She made sure her voice was quiet and soothing,

"You know... next time we're in a bad mood with each other, we should just talk it out like this..." her heart skipped a beat when she felt Bea nuzzle her face against her, her arm sliding around her waist to hold her firmly. She bowed her head down and pressed a kiss on top of her head. Bea's voice was a faint, Gloria strained to hear her.

" _What do you mean next time...?"_ her voice trailed off, her fingers clutched at Gloria's shirt. 

"Well, I can be pretty thick sometimes, I make plenty of mistakes..." She played with the tips of Bea's hair, brushing it aside and stroking her fingertips against the nape of her neck. She smiled when she heard Bea hum against her chest. "... and since I wanna keep seeing you," she kept caressing Bea, sliding her fingertips down to stroke her back, "and I wanna keep _being_ with you..." Gloria felt herself get pulled in closer by Bea's strong arm, "it's sort of inevitable, you know...?"

Bea stopped shaking her foot, Gloria felt the tension beneath her fingertips melt away as she saw the muscles in Bea's back unflex. She saw Bea's side rise as she took in a deep breath, then fall slowly as she exhaled, warm air hitting Gloria's chest. "At least now we know we can figure things out... right...?" Gloria brought her hand back up as Bea leaned away from her chest. She had that same, scared expression from last night. Gloria felt like someone was tugging at her heart.

"Are you sure? You don't... Hate me...?" Bea's voice was small. 

Gloria tucked a strand of hair behind Bea's ear, pausing and taking the time to trace over it softly. She noticed a blush flood Bea's face, her head cocking slightly toward her hand, her eye squinting a bit. 

_Oh?_

"You like that?" Gloria's voice was gentle, her smile was disarming. Bea blushed more. Gloria caressed over her ear again, getting the same, heart-melting reaction as before. Gloria's heart overflowed. "I'll keep going as long as you want, jelly bean..." She leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, Bea letting out a sweet, satisfied sigh as she closed her eyes. A timid smile began to form on her face.

_This is too cute! I can't handle it!!_

Gloria had reached her limit, her own face began to blush profusely as she looked down to see Bea fully relaxing in her arms. She pressed another kiss to her forehead. Then another, much gentler, softer one to her eyelashes. She brought her lips to her cheek, planting several more there. She put her hand on Bea's shoulder, pushing her lightly to roll her over to her back. She scooted over, propping herself over Bea and lowering her head once again, methodically scattering kisses all over Bea's face. She felt Bea's lips spread into a wide smile as she did so, her hand reaching up and resting at her waist as she let Gloria pamper her. A musical giggle left Bea's lips, making Gloria swoon once again. She straddled Bea, cupping both her hands to Bea's thoroughly kissed face.

"I am _so_ sure I don't hate you. I could _never_ hate you..."

She squished Bea's baby face in her hands gently, leaning down to plant one more loving kiss on her lips. She pulled away carefully, resting her forehead on hers. Their noses brushed against each other. 

Wide grins plastered both of their faces.

"I wanna stay like this forever..." Gloria's voice was dreamy.

Bea steadied her gaze into Gloria's eyes.

"Then... Maybe let's start on that today...?"

There was a small moment of silence between the two as Gloria looked at Bea with wide eyes.

Gloria pulled away, her heart thumping madly in her chest, her face heating up to volcanic proportions. 

_So..._

_SO romantic... Can't handle it... Hgnnnnnn—_

Bea furrowed her brow, turning her head toward the balcony attached to Gloria's room. "Or... tonight? I think we're forgetting about Allie..."

"Oh my gosh—" she rolled off of Bea, patting for her bag, "—you're totally right, _shit—_ " she grabbed onto the top strap and pulled it to her, sitting up and scooting to the edge of the bed. She reached down for her shoes. She felt Bea position herself beside her, putting her fingertips lightly beneath Gloria's chin and angling her face towards hers.

Gloria's eyes were wide open for a moment, Bea's bold kiss taking her by surprise. Her soft lips locked gently with hers, making Gloria's body weaken from her core. She couldn't help but let out a small moan as her lips parted, letting Bea's tongue stroke softly against hers. 

_Oh my god..._

Their lips met again, Bea sucking softly on her bottom lip before they pulled away. Gloria's heart was working entirely too hard to keep up. 

"Just wanted one for the road..." Bea's face had a coy smile on it as she leveraged herself out of the bed, holding her hand out and wriggling her fingers as she waited for Gloria to slip on her shoes.

Their fingers were woven together as they walked toward the door.

They stole one last peck from each other before turning the door handle.


	39. Real World Experience and Pocket Change

Allister tugged at his collar in a vain attempt to let some air hit his sweating neck. Bea fanned her hand beneath her chin, her skin was glowing as new tan lines began to form. Gloria trekked ahead of them, suddenly stopping, putting her hands on her hips valiantly. She took a deep breath in. 

Dirt and dead grass crunched beneath Allister and Bea as they trudged forward to catch up. 

"This is it, guys!" Gloria's voice was bright, her positivity breathing some life back into the sweating crew. Bea and Allister scanned their surroundings, trying their best to find any redeeming feature outside of the dull shrubbery, dirt, and occasional Joshua Tree. Allister cleared his throat awkwardly, Gloria twirling around to greet them with an excited smile. 

Bea raised her eyebrow. "So... This is it...?" She scuffed her foot against the ground, kicking up red dirt. "I'm not missing anything right? What're we doing here again...?" She craned her neck as she surveyed the environment once again, squinting this time as she looked for anything that would catch her eye. 

Gloria rolled her eyes, dropping her bag to the ground with a dull thud. "I totally explained this earlier— were you not listening??" She crouched down and held her hand out to Allister, who shuffled his way over to her shyly. Bea shrugged sheepishly, her thumbs looping with her belt loops nervously.

_Definitely not, I was mad..._

"Of course I was! This just wasn't what I was... you know, expecting is all..." She shot Gloria an awkward smile to back up her statement, Gloria narrowed her eyes and pouted as she grasped onto Allister's hand. 

"You were listening though, right bud?" Allister nodded as Gloria positioned him in front of her. "You bring your dream team?" He nodded again, pointing cutely at his belt. Gloria smiled, patting his shoulder and standing back up. She beckoned Bea to come over, shooting her an inconspicuous wink. She felt a blush heat up her face in the hot, springtime sun. She walked over, fanning her face again. She stood just behind Gloria and Allister, her eyes glued to Gloria as she started to explain today's objective to her brother. She cocked her head to the side, getting a better view of her butt, spacing out as she spoke.

_Nice..._

"Okie dokie Allister, I'm gonna teach you how to spot a den in the day light," She leaned down and pointed to a small bunch of unassuming shrubs, "they can be hard to spot in a place like this, but it's the best way to train against—" she turned her head to give Allister a friendly smile, "— or even catch nocturnal pokemon without having to wait for nighttime!" A tiny little gasp came from behind Allister's mask, his fingertips came together as if he wanted to clap. Gloria crouched down again, putting her hands at the side of his head, angling his gaze to the bushes. "Okay... _shhh... watch and tell me if you see anything..."_ Her voice lowered to a hushed whisper as they waited.

Bea let out a small scoff, crossing her arms. A minute passed. 

Then five.

The urge to tap her foot was taking over, her eyes wandered to a weird crack in the dry clay beneath her. 

_Kinda looks like a_ _wooloo... Oh wait... We need milk. I should've grabbed that this morning, what if we don't finish till late?_

Another minute ticked by, Allister and Gloria stared at the bushes with bated breath. Bea shrugged off the strap of her duffel bag, looking at a good spot on the ground to put it on. 

_I could always do that grocery pick-up thing... what's that app called? I'll eat the fee if it means we can go straight home... What should I do for dinner...?_

Bea set her bag down, carefully placing it in a patch of grass to not get the red, dusty clay on the bottom of it. She nudged it with her foot. She was so deep in thought, she hadn't noticed the slight tremor that vibrated beneath her feet, causing the bushes to rustle together. 

_This is so old... I should get a new one... How long is this gonna ta—_

" _That's it Allister!"_

_"Ooooo..."_

Bea perked her head up, her eyes widening as faint, pink, fractured beams of light blinked from the shadows cast by the bushes. "...the heck...?" Gloria reached behind Allister, picking up her bag gingerly and nudging Allister.

" _Let's check it out, bud..."_

Gloria inched her way toward the bushes, Allister followed curiously. Bea furrowed her brow and craned her neck as they crept their way over. "...guys...?" She timidly put one foot in front of the other, following at a distance.

Gloria's fingertips brushed against the leaves of one of the shrubs, parting it slightly as Allister tiptoed to her side. They both craned their necks over, pausing to look at each other, then back behind the leaves once again.

" _S-so cool..."_ Allister stepped over the bush, crouching down behind it. He disappeared from Bea's view. She quickened her pace as Gloria stepped over as well, just her top half visible. Bea felt anxiety rise to her chest. 

"Hey now—" She neared the bushes cautiously, holding her hand out in front of her, "—now wait a sec—" She parted the branches quietly herself, timidly peering in. Her eyes widened, Allister's legs dangled over the edge of the gaping mouth of a den, he sat at its edge carefree. Pink flashes of light illuminated his mask. Gloria stood behind him. They both froze, Gloria brought her fingertip to her lips quietly, as if to shush her. Bea's jaw dropped. 

_"Gloria—"_ her whisper was harsh, Gloria fanned her hand toward Bea to continue to shush her. "— _stop that— what are you doing???"_ she batted Gloria's hand away, scrunching her face in annoyance. Gloria's eyes darted to the den, more pink flashes of light started to filter upwards, Allister leaned his head forward curiously. Bea snapped her fingers at Gloria's face, making her return her gaze to hers, "— _don't you look at him— we are not letting my ten-year-old brother—"_ Bea's voice gradually started to rise, Gloria's face became increasingly more and more panicked, she started waving her hands in front of her wildly in an attempt to calm Bea down. The pink flashes of light turned into consistent beams, another tremor reverberated beneath them, Bea continued to scold Gloria, " _—go into a Dynamax den! HE'S_ TEN!" She pointed at Allister, who turned his head up to look at his sister and Gloria. He winced at the tone of Bea's voice. The pink beams of light suddenly consolidated to one blinding ray, a much larger tremor shook the environment. The three of them swayed, Bea and Gloria tried to find their footing as the rumbling increased. The two girls dropped their jaws simultaneously. Allister's voice was barely heard over the gentle thundering that resounded from the den. He wobbled forward a bit too much.

_"Uuhwhoaaa—"_

-•-

"Hop?" Sonia tossed her keys onto the long, glossy countertop near the front entrance of her lab. The keys jingled against the surface, echoing off of the cold, sterile interior of her workspace. She flicked the red dust off of her jeans, walking to see if Hop was in the other room. He was sitting at his desk, his laptop screen shining gently on his slumped over body. Sonia frowned as she continued to walk towards him. His head was laying gently on top of his folded arms, his eyes closed gently. His snores coincided with the rhythm of his deep breathing, Sonia rolled her eyes. She rolled a chair next to him, reaching over to bring his laptop closer to her. She squinted at the screen, various graphs and charts were updating in real time in one window, blinking madly. She minimized it, turning her attention briefly to Hop's notes, scanning and analyzing his findings. She shrugged and bobbed her head, impressed with his notes. Her fingers tapped on the trackpad quietly as she brought up his browser, several tabs were opened. More than one was directing to a digital version of one of her books, several sentences were highlighted and annotated. She directed herself to the shared "info" email, leaning forward and lazily resting her chin in her hand as she scrolled.

_Trash, trash, spam, trash, coupon— I'll save that one— trash again, ugh..._

She tapped her index finger to her temple as she continued to clear out the inundated inbox. She suddenly stopped scrolling.

_Macro Cosmos... What do they want from me...?"_

She pulled up the email, it appeared to be a simple request form submitted by their solar department for more information on the latest iteration of the battery charger that Sonia's lab engineered. She sat up straight, repositioning the laptop and typing away a reply. She hit send. 

_Macro Cosmos... They have so many different departments don't they...?_

She hovered her mouse over the link to the company's website, pausing briefly to look at Hop, who was still fast asleep beside her. She shrugged, tapping on the link and examining the website. She crossed her legs and began to explore the home page, her eyes dragging over the various headers and subtitles for the main departments. She stopped scrolling, smiling to herself as a glamorous picture of Nessa popped up in front of her, the bold header read " _PR & MEDIA RELATIONS" _above her.

Her conversation with Gloria suddenly popped into her head. She cocked her head to the side curiously.

_Gloria's new uniform... She mentioned that 'people' didn't like it— I wonder if Rose ran a focus group through his company..._

She leaned back, pulling the laptop onto her lap and tapping the side of the screen with her slender fingers. She wiped dust off of the screen with her thumb, glancing up to the whiteboard that was branded with the Magnolia Labs logo. An idea popped into her head. 

Her fingers tapped at the keyboard quickly, her fingertips dragging against the trackpad periodically between her taps. She smiled to herself. 

_Just like I thought... The league operates as a DBA under Macro Cosmos... He's running his own focus groups through his own company for a league he's the majority owner in..._

She stretched and popped her neck, letting the gears turn in her mind. 

_That means he's been calling all the shots regardless— he controls every aspect including focus groups... That means..._

She lifted the computer from her lap, replacing it back onto the table as she stood up. She walked quietly to the table just beside Hop's desk. She slipped a disposable coffee cup from a stack next to an expensive coffee machine, sliding it beneath its spout as she scanned a carousel filled with various brews until she got to her desired flavor. She plucked the pod from the carousel and popped it into the machine, pressing the 'instant brew' button, the machine whirring to life. The water within the machine bubbled and boiled, she continued to run through her idea in her head.   
  


_I think I may be onto something..._

The sound of coffee pouring into the cup snapped her back to reality. She turned around, the coffee was almost done pouring. She grabbed a stirring stick, two sugar packets, and a single serving of cream as she walked back over to a soundly sleeping Hop. She placed the coffee down, patting his head gently. His eyes shot open, flinching at her touch.

"S-Sonia—" He sat up swiftly, making Sonia wobble backward a bit, "—you're back early! Hey!" Hop sounded panicked, Sonia gave him a warm, reassuring smile as she pointed to the cup of coffee next to him. His shoulders relaxed as he glanced over the steaming cup. 

"Just how you like it dude," He gratefully scooted his chair back, his hands reaching for the sugar packets, "It's fine. You've been working hard!" She pulled out the chair she was sitting in earlier, taking a seat next to him as he stirred in the cream. He raised his eyebrow, bringing the cup to his lips and blowing on the coffee.

"What are you doing back so soon?" the steam swirled in wisps from him as he blew, he held Sonia's gaze intently.

"I guess I overestimated how long things were gonna take over there," She waved her hand as if she were waving away Hop's question nonchalantly, "but anyways, I've been doing some thinking, Hop..."

He lowered his mouth carefully to the cup, taking in a small sip of the hot coffee. He furrowed his brow, "What's up?" deeming the coffee adequately cold enough, he lifted the cup and took a healthy swig, closing his eyes for a moment as he relished the flavor. 

"You know," Sonia gestured grandly to the lab, "our toys definitely don't come cheap... we make enough here and there to keep things up and running—" she brought her hand back to her lap and drummed her fingers against her knee, "—but I was just thinking: _what if we diversified_?" She looked at Hop expectantly as he put the coffee down on the table. He looked confused. 

"Diversified? How?"  
  


"Well, I'm thinking maybe we expand our research capabilities and cast a wider net—" She scooted closer to him excitedly, "—maybe we do some anthropology and social science too!" 

Hop seemed taken aback, "Like, medicine? For humans? I dunno..." 

"Not necessarily, I'm thinking more..." She brought her index finger up to tap on her temple, "... Oh I don't know... something more— _marketable_." Hop nodded along, doing his best to keep up. Sonia rolled her eyes. 

_Guess I have to spell it out._

"Maybe we go into marketing itself? We could become an unbiased authority for focus group testing for all sorts of industries!"

Hop's eyes brightened, the lightbulb finally going off in his brain.

_There we go..._

"That's such a good idea!"

Sonia nodded, dumbing down her voice a bit, "you really think so??"

Hop nodded in bright approval, "oh _totally_ — you know— I bet companies pay top dollar for that stuff too!"  
  
  


Sonia slapped both her hands onto her knees, standing up excitedly. "Then it's settled! I'll do some R&D on this idea— Hop— I need you to look into the logistics of reaching out to various companies to get the word out—"

Hop frowned, giving Sonia a small grumble as his break came to an end.

"—I just need the generals, kid, don't get so sassy," She pulled up her phone, setting down her glasses at the bridge of her nose. She frowned, not seeing any notifications from Nessa. She pulled up a search engine on her screen and tapped into the search bar, "I'll be back, I just need to make a couple of phone calls first..."

She started to scroll through a directory of corporate lawyers, all of whom specialized in unionizing, scanning each name carefully.

_Control the_ _focus groups and the data..._

She tapped on a name that stood out to her.

_Control the game..._


	40. Falling Into a Rabbit Hole and Other Activities to do With Loved Ones

“ALLISTER—“

The world seemed to move in slow motion for Bea. Her angry grip on Gloria‘s collar loosened as she saw, to her horror, Allister’s small frame wobble forward. Her eyes widened as he tried to steady himself, his body sinking into the den.

_Oh my g—_

Bea blinked, her eyes reopened. Suddenly she saw Gloria’s body lunging in front of her, diving head-first into the den.   
  


The ringing in her ears stopped, life began functioning in real-time again.   
  


_NO TIME— ONLY DO—_

Bea hurtled over the edge of the well-shaped den with hard-shut eyes as she prepared for the worst. She hooked the top of her feet to the edge and stretched her hands down in a wild grab. Her hands clapped loudly, grasping firmly on Gloria’s ankle, she snapped her eyes open brightly. 

”Gotcha—“ her voice echoed ominously in the pink, illuminated den. She winced, the inertia of Gloria falling yanking her shoulders almost out of her sockets, “—OOF.” Dust from the sandstone beneath her feet scattered down, her hook method slowly beginning to fail. She put one hand in front of the other, painfully heaving Gloria closer.

“Allie!??”   
  


Gloria swayed a bit in her grip, swinging Allister to the side sheepishly. 

”...Gloria caught me... ‘m f-fine...” his little voice rang in eerie rounds against the cavernous walls. Gloria put her chin to her chest, looking up at Bea, wincing at her vice grip.

”You two—“ she put one hand ahead of the other, reeling Gloria upward, “—are in _so—“_ she flexed her foot up as her hold began to slip, “MUCH TROUBLE.” Her left hand squeezed at Gloria’s calf, she let out yelp in pain. More dust fell on the three of them as Bea continued to exert herself.

A violent, pink flash of light exploded from the core of the den, followed by another rigorous quake.

  
Bea flexed as hard as she could, holding on for dear life.

-•-

Gloria had put zero thought into the situation, acting purely on horrible, unsafe instinct. She found herself in a head-first free fall into a cave.

_Mistake number one: diving head first into a den._

She waved her hands wildly in front of her, hoping to hit any sort of limb attached to Allister. She felt a skinny forearm slap against her palm, her fingers tightened instantaneously.

_YES._

Allister’s face snapped up to look at her, his small fingers wrapping around her arm as well.

Wind still whipped around them both.

_Oh. Mistake number two: no plan._

They both let out yells as they continued their free fall until Gloria felt her body jolt to a sudden stop, her ankle getting caught. Bea’s familiar voice rang throughout the den.

”Gotcha!”   
  


A sweet wave of relief washed over her body as she strengthened her grip on little Allister, who was swaying beneath her. She heard Bea call out for him, and using all of her might, swung him to the side for Bea to see.

Allister mumbled a bit, Gloria ducked her chin to shoot Bea a sheepish smile, preparing herself for a hero’s reception. She was surprised at what she saw.  
  


_Uh oh._

Bea’s eyes glowed with rage as she started to yank her back up towards her. She rattled off a slew of scolds, Gloria wincing at each painful grab. She felt dust tickle against her legs.

_Mistake number three: making mama bewear mad..._

  
Allister looked up at Gloria’s face, then cocked to his head to the side to face his sister. Gloria felt him shudder in her hands. She brought her voice down to a whisper, smiling reassuringly to him,

” _you okay bud?”_

Allister shook his head vigorously, his voice coming out to barely a whimper. “N-no— Gloria—“ he peeked over Gloria’s shoulder back up to his raging sister, “There’s s-still t-time... let’s take our ch-chances in the d-den—“ 

Gloria smiled, letting out a small chuckle at Allister’s novel fear of getting punished by his sister. She then felt Bea’s fingers dig painfully into her calf.   
  


_HAH. AHHH OW—_

She was blinded by an angry flash of light—

_Oh no— the storm— we woke it up—_

A tremor shook the den.

She felt herself and Allister sink a few inches. Allister held on even tighter.

Gloria’s heart began to pound in her chest. She swallowed hard, trying to tune out Bea’s grunts of over-exertion.

She pulled Allister closer, looking intently into his violet eyes,

”It’s gonna be oka—“ 

“N-n-n-no—“ 

A cascade of rocks showered the trio. Bea’s foothold broke free.

They were eaten by the den’s intense light as they continued their free fall.

-•-

“Okay then...” Nessa sat up in bed, lifting the covers above her chest as Marnie climbed up up from between her legs, wiping her mouth with the palm of her hand and shooting Nessa a devilish smirk, “... I stand corrected...” she let out a sigh as Marnie settled on top of her, collapsing and nuzzling her cheek against her chest. She mumbled quietly as Nessa traced the crown shaved into her scalp.

”Told ya...” her long lashes brushed against her collar bones as she let out a long sigh. Nessa perked her head up. Marnie lay limply and groaned, clutching onto the surrounding sheets tightly. “Nessa...” 

_Ugh... I know..._

”Yeah...?”   
  


“We can’t keep going...” 

Nessa let her head fall back onto the pillow, a pained expression of defeat contorting her face. She felt... a strange tug in her heart that made her feel like she’d lost something precious. She parted her lips to say something.

”’m too hungover...” 

Nessa’s voice was sad, “... I know... wait—“ her head perked up again excitedly, “—what did you say?”   
  


Marnie rolled off of Nessa, landing squarely on her back as she brought her hands up to massage her temples. “I said—“ she rubbed hard circles into them impatiently, “— we can’t keep going— I’m gonna hurl—“ she pointed firmly to her head, “—hangover.” She brought her hands back down and rested them tiredly at her stomach.   
  


_FUCK YEAH!  
  
_

Nessa sat up straight in bed, the sheets falling from the top half of her body. Marnie raised an eyebrow, giving her a shit-eating grin as she looked at her body from the corner of her eye. Nessa was completely oblivious as Marnie enjoyed the eye candy, “Oh! Yeah— stay here then—“ she threw the sheets off of her, standing up in all of her naked glory. Her perfectly clear, soft skin seemed to glow in the daylight as she gathered up her clothes, “—lemme grab some stuff for you. I’ll take care of that hangover in _no time!_ ” She wriggled i to her clothes at breakneck speed, opening up the door and running down the stairs.

  
A huge smile was plastered on her glowing face.  
  


-•-

“Guhhhh...” Marnie moaned up at the ceiling, doing her best to hold down the nausea that bubbled in her esophagus. She was teetering dangerously on the edge of puking, she tried to steady her breathing. Her ear perked up. Little tiny pitter-pattering feet tapped against the floor. Marnie’s eyes shot wide open, puffing her cheeks out in nauseous agony as Morpeko landed on her stomach. She brought a shaking hand to pat his head, letting out a pained groan. “Hey cheeky Peeky—“ she glanced down at his sweet little face with sunken eyes. She couldn’t help but smile at his wiggling nose. “—come to check on mama?” He let out a cute yelp, Marnie heard the sound of dishes ring out from downstairs, the sound of sizzling accompanying it almost immediately. She turned to her side, spooning Morpeko tightly. He snuggled right back. She let out an existential sigh as she held him, “What the fuck ‘m I supposed to do...” her voice drawled with fatigue, “... it’s like... I’m a glutton for fuckin’ up, you know Peek?”   
  


Morpeko wriggled in her arms excitedly, letting out a yelp. Marnie frowned, lifting her arm as he jumped free from her embrace. He jumped into her basket of laundry, flinging small articles of clothing to the side as he borrowed inside. Marnie’s frown deepened as she shot her beloved partner dead, depressed eyes.

Nessa’s phone vibrated on her nightstand. She reached for it slowly. She brought the screen close to her nose, pressing on the home button, a picture of Nessa in with her Drednaw adorned the screen. A text from someone Nessa had in her phone as “Wifey😍” popped up on the screen. Marnie squinted as she read the short message.

Wifey😍: Leaving SoS now, omw to the lab. I had a chat with Gloria, I’ll update you on it later. How’s Marnie? Call me soon?   
  


“Welp...” Marnie gently tossed the phone back onto her nightstand and pinched the bridge of her nose, “... I think I’ll just go puke anyways...” her voice trailed off as she rolled out of bed unceremoniously, crawling on all fours to her en suite.   
  


Her hands deftly grabbed at the lid of her toilet, grabbing on firmly. She heaved herself up onto her knees. She flipped the lid up, her thoughts racing in her head. She hovered her head over the bowl, closing her eyes as flashes of Nessa’s body, her burning passion filled face, and feeling of desire raced in her mind.   
  


_Ohhhh here we go..._

She let out a dry heave to no avail.

Her consciousness snapped back to Gloria, the once comforting thought of her embrace now made her sick with guilt and confusion.

Another heave rattled her lungs right on cue.

Her eyes began to water, her white-knuckle grip on the toilet seat strengthened. She felt herself flash back to Rose’s office. His creepy voice echoed in her mind, 

“ _I’ve got everything I need on you, your brother, Gloria, everyone you care about in that folder...”_

Her abs contracted, her lungs burned, another fruitless cough hacked from her body. She shivered.

” _If you cared about them at all— you’d sign that paper Marnie...”_

Tears stung her eyes as she tried to stifle that memory.

_”I think it’s pretty fair... You ruin me? I ruin you. And everyone important to you...”_

Marnie sniffed hard, her vision becoming increasingly more and more blurred.

_”Forget about everything and you can live a normal life... just always know—“_

A final, violent heave snapped Marnie out of the memory, sweet relief coming as she was finally able to let loose. The world around her muffled as she spat into the toilet. A tear ran down her cheek as she rested her head weakly on her hand.

” _I own you now...”_

She closed her eyes, using the last of her strength to slam the lid closed and yank down at the handle. She sunk down and leaned against the bath tub, stifling a cough.

_I hurt everyone that I love._

She started to drift off to sleep, cold porcelain propping up her body.

-•-

Gravity brought all three of them together, allowing Gloria to wrap her arms around Allister protectively and for Bea to wrap her own arms around her waist. Gloria scanned her surroundings, the feeling of panic beginning to fade as the muscle memory of her years of experience began to take over. She knew the storm brewing below them would help break their fall.

Bea certainly did not know that.

”Gloria!!” Bea’s voice was carried away by the wild wind, “We live through this— you are so DEAD!” They hurtled through violet clouds, making Bea yelp out in a particularly girly, uncharacteristic way. Gloria peeked behind her, Bea’s face scrunched up cutely, the bright pink light illuminating her face. She couldn’t help but smile.

Right on cue, a gust of wind blasted up from beneath them like a geyser, almost knocking Allister’s mask cleanly off his face.   
  


The tangled crew broke apart, their velocity slowing down considerably as the ground finally came into perspective. Gloria waved her arms mid-air, readjusting her falling body and landing fairly squarely on her feet. She looked behind her, Bea somersaulting onto her butt, Allister knocking the wind out of her as he landed on top. She hurried over to them.

”Bea— hey now—“ she slid to a stop, crouching down before her and Allister. Her eyes darted to Allister, who was shaking in her lap.   
  


_Is he... crying...?_

Small whimpers left his body, Gloria timidly reached her hand out to touch his back. The volume of his sobs raise, Bea snapped out of her traumatized state and batted her hand away, leaning forward protectively. She opened her mouth to scold Gloria, Allister brought his hands up to his mask. He jammed his thumbs into the sides, ripping it off his face to reveal his red, 

_Smiling_ face?   
  


He turned himself around in Bea’s lap, bringing his arms to his stomach as he continued to laugh heartily, Bea looked down at him with utter confusion, then back to Gloria. She just shrugged back at her, cracking a smile of her own.

”Ahhhhahahaaaa...” his laugh was almost dreamy, he turned his face to Gloria who was smiling back at him. “You were r-right!” His cute grin made Gloria feel invincible, “it _was_ fun!” He sat up, crawling over to Gloria to wrap her up into a teeny hug, “and we’re okay! W-we’re alive!!” Gloria hugged him back, loosing herself in a giddy smile as her and Allister connected over their love of adventure. Bea’s jaw dropped, her empty arms and lap portraying pure offense.   
  


“Allister—“ Bea’s voice was gentle and soft as she reached out to him, “Are you okay? Did you hit your head?” Her hand landed softly on his shoulder as he pulled away from Gloria’s embrace. He stood up between the two, puffing out his little chest and smiling at the brewing Dynamax storm before them boldly.

  
I’m fine!” 

Bea’s jaw dropped again, her eyes darted to Gloria.

Gloria raised an eyebrow back at Bea.

_He didn’t stutter..._

His Dynamax band illuminated to life, his hand reached for his belt, closing on a specific poké ball.   
  


Gloria scooted closer to Bea, nudging her affectionately as she smiled proudly at Allister’s newfound confidence. The massive silhouette of a hidden pokémon started to creep into the trio’s vision.

  
The dusk ball in Allister’s hand activated.


	41. Trial By Fire

_What on earth has gotten into HIM?_

Bea could barely recognize her brother as he stood up, wiping the dirt from his shorts. His face was significantly brighter, his posture was much straighter. She glanced over to see Gloria beaming up at him as he made his way toward to towering silhouette in the distance. Pink and purple cracks of lightning sparked in strands above them, getting consumed by fluffy, dark clouds. Gloria scooted up next to her, nudging her gently with her elbow as they watched Allister snap a dusk ball out of his belt and into his hand. The wind started to pick up, whipping around them swiftly, making Gloria shiver slightly. Bea felt her hushed whisper against her ear as she leaned closer to her. 

" _Pretty cool, huh?"_

_Pretty cool??? Is she insane?_

" _Gloria— this is not okay— he's not ready!"_ Bea turned her head and frowned at Gloria who seemed taken aback. She raised her eyebrow as the wind blew through her hair.  
  


_"Bea— where is this coming from?? I TOLD you we were gonna— did you just tune me out the whole time??"_ She leaned back, crossing her arms defensively and pouting at Bea whose foot was madly bouncing up and down.

_"Okay I mean— maybe_? _Gloria, that's beside the point—"_

_"So what, you don't trust me?"_ Gloria let out a huff, standing back up and patting the dust off her bottom. She pursed her lips and glared at Bea.

_Uh oh. No. UGH I am NOT in the wrong here._

Bea stood back up and crossed her arms back at her indignantly, raising her voice as the thunder got louder and louder. "Of course I do!" her voice carried, Gloria rolled her eyes, "Come ON— he's TEN— he's never been down one!"

"So why didn't you say anything earlier?? You literally said— and I _quote_ — 'do what you want Allie, I'm good with it' while we were walking to the hotel! You seriously were not paying attention, were you..." She turned away from Bea, sticking up her nose and letting out another huff.

_UGHHHHHHHHH_

Bea reached her hand out to grab Gloria's arm, she flinched at her touch. Bea frowned, "Gloria—I'm sorry— but this is _dangerous—"_ Gloria whipped herself around and pointed her finger firmly at Bea who held her hands up defensively.

"No it's not! I would've had things under control Bea, _YOU_ asked for this! Plus— _you're_ here. You can watch over him, we're gonna be fine!" Gloria brought her finger from pointing at Bea to the side to point toward Allister. "I'm _good_ at this, Bea! Plus—" they both turned to follow Gloria's pointed finger, Allister's figure disappearing quite literally into a shroud of darkness. Gloria's voice wavered as she patted at her side with her free hand, coming up empty in terms of her bag. "I'm... the Champion...?" Her face turned white, she turned around frantically looking for her stuff, Bea's own eyes widened. 

_OH NO._

She staggered backward a bit as she brought her eyes upward, the mouth of the den wasn't even visible from her stand point. She shut her eyes hard, balling her fists in frustration. 

_My bag. Is on. A patch of grass. SHOOT._

Bea could feel her veins start to pop from her neck, she felt like steam would pour out of her ears any second now. Gloria's hands shot to her cheeks, bringing her gaze down to her big, worried, auburn eyes. Her voice wavered slightly as the words poured out of her mouth before Bea could say or do anything. 

"BEA. Listen. We have no time. You hate me, I get it. I promise," she stepped in closer, closing the gap between the two, "give me _fifteen_ minutes, we will be out of here. _SAFE_. Then you can yell at me, beat me, _whatever—_ " She planted a wet kiss on Bea's lips, let go, and sprinted toward Allister's disappearing silhouette. A nervous " _gotta gooooo...._ " trailed off into the wind as she ran. 

Bea shook her head, staggering backward a bit again, eyes wide open.

_This is insane._

She had no choice but to run after her into the eye of the storm.

_SHE is insane._

She pushed down the nervous trepidation boiling up into her throat as she ran into the black fog.

-•-

_My days are seriously numbered. Hnnngngggh..._

Gloria braced her hands in front of her face as she broke into the fog. She squinted as she fought against the force of the wind, trudging ahead. She took a deep breath in, shutting her eyes and cupping her hands around her mouth. 

"AAALLISTERRRRRR— _"_

_I've gotta find him. I've gotta get us out of here._

The wind whistled in her ears as she continued to trudge forward. She opened her eyes slightly, looking through her fingers and following the bright, pink light that filtered through. A strange, astral push heaved her body forward into starkly calm air, catching her by surprise. She stumbled forward, looking behind her to see what had pushed her. 

Nobody was there.

All she saw was a thick blanket of fog. She shivered, turned around, and found Allister standing before a bright beam of light with plumes of mist sparkling down on the battlefield. She balled her fists, taking a deep breath as she took her first steps forward. Allister was tossing his dusk ball up and down in his hand as he looked up defiantly. 

_Too bright— can't see what it is—_

Gloria angled her head down and jogged forward, squinting her eyes in the blinding light. Allister flinched when she put her hand on his shoulder, crouching down and angling him to face her. She blinked, smiling reassuringly to Allister, his eyebrows raised. 

"T-took you long 'nuff..." His voice was sweet and quiet as Gloria brought him in for a warm hug.  
  


"Sorry bud, Bea got a little mad there for a seco _—_ _what is THAT—"_

The mist caught the corner of Gloria's eye, she darted her head to the side to get a better view. A massive, drowsy musharna floated precariously in the middle of the eye of the storm, mist billowing around its head. She whipped her head back to Allister who shot her a nervous grin, shrugging his shoulders. Her voice was panicked, she grabbed his shoulders and yanked him close, " _Allister—_ did you breathe any of that in?" he shook his head vigorously back and forth, waving his hands in front of him defensively. 

_Oh no. Oh no. Please—_

"N-no! P-promise! I j-just got h-here..." he grasped onto the dusk ball in his left hand hard as he shied away from Gloria, slinking back into his shell. Gloria's heart tugged harshly with guilt, she crouched down to be eye-level with the small boy and softened her grip and her expression exponentially. She let out a sigh of relief.

"Good... Sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you bud..." she slid her hands down from his shoulders to his wrists, holding them close to her, "...Wanna take on this guy? You have the advantage _—"_ she wriggled Allister's hand that held the dusk ball, " _—_ Ghost trumps psychic!" her cocked her head to the side, shooting Allister a sweet wink as he relaxed a bit before her. She let go of his hands, patting his head and standing back up to face the massive pokemon. She looked down to Allister, 

"Ready bud?"

He nodded, looking forward determinedly, bringing his arm back to toss his dusk ball. "L-let's do this!"

-•-

_I hate the dark._

Bea shut her eyes hard, her sprint slowing down to almost a halt as she inched her way forward through the dark fog. She shivered nervously as she tried to find her way, trying her best to follow the pink fragments of light that filtered through the fog. 

_I HATE the dark._

Her heartbeat was throbbing wildly, her veins throbbing all over her body. Her eyes began to sting.

_Think of Allie. Think of Allie. Think of Allie. Think of hi—_

"Whoa _—"_ Bea felt a swift gust of wind whip around her legs, making her wobble forward. She stuck her arms out, flailing them as she desperately tried to regain balance while still making progress forward. The harsh wind had kicked up the dirt, she winced as the tiny particles scraped against her calves and ankles. She pushed forward.

_How did I get this far behind?? I was right_ _behind Gloria—_

A quake rolled the ground beneath her feet, a girly yelp escaped her lips as she instinctively held her arms, bracing for impact. She clamped her eyes shut, cursing her negligence for putting her in this situation. 

_I should've been better. I should always be better—_

She cautiously opened her eyes and locked back onto the fragments of light in front of her.

_I'm the older one. I'm the parent figure. I should've paid more attention—_

Her chest began to tighten again as she fought her way through the fog and the shadows, pursing her lips.

_But if this is so wrong, if I'm always so right, why—_

Her eyes opened up wider as she saw a break in the fog, bursting from it's thick, rolling tendrils into the calm eye of the storm. She let out a short sigh of relief as she scanned her surroundings for her brother and Gloria. Her eyes finally locked on the two of them as they stood in front of the Dynamaxed musharna, Allister cocking his arm back to toss his dusk ball. Her heart squeezed.

_—_ _why does he look so happy?_

Allister's Dynamax band let out a streaming burst of light as his gengar exploded out of his ball, apperating and disapperating frantically on the battle field, getting various vantage points of the musharna. Bea shook off her concerns, turning her attention back on her brother as she jogged up to stand next to Gloria. She slid to a stop next to her, Gloria turned her head to face her. She looked nervous. 

"Bea _—"_

_"_ Yes thanks for waiting up! I uh— _"_ she scuffed her shoe against the ground, crossing her arms curtly, "—am also a fan of deadly hikes through Dynamax storms. They have the same effect on me as long walks on the beach, it's this crazy thing." Her voice was sarcastic, Gloria frowned. Bea furrowed her own brow. She cleared her throat awkwardly, turning her gaze back up to the battle. Her foot tapped anxiously against the ground.

_What the heck was that?? I thought I was supposed to be the more mature one—_

She squeezed her arms, her triceps flexing against the sleeves of her t-shirt. Gloria's voice was inquisitive as she leaned over to whisper in her ear. " _Hey,"_ Bea tilted her head closer to her, almost meeting her ear to Gloria's lips, " _has Allister always battled silently?"_

Bea turned her head to look at Gloria, stifling a blush as she tried not to react to the proximity of their faces. She nodded, angling her chin up and standing on her tip toes to whisper back, " _Yeah, don't know where he learned that, don't know how he does it either... He's kind of like Sabrina but for ghosts... says he can hear them speak too..."_ she lowered her heels back onto the ground and shrugged. Gloria shrugged back, bobbing her head as she shot Allister an impressed look. Bea sighed sadly as she watched Allister's gengar continue to pop in and out of dimensions around the musharna. 

Gloria's hand reached out to touch her arm, her fingertips brushing softly against her freshly-tanned skin. Bea let out a sigh, letting her arms drop to her side, as she dropped her guard. Her eyebrows shot up when she felt Gloria's fingers lace up with hers, squeezing her hand firmly. Gloria brought her eyes up from looking at their hands to Bea's steely blue eyes. She felt a blush radiate from her cheeks.

_We're doing what now?_

"Gloria, we—"

_*BOOM*_

They both snapped their attention back to the massive pokemon before them, Allister's gengar had been flying around its head playfully, its animalistic cackle shifting in and out as it disappeared at will. Everything had looked fine till the musharna's eyes shot open, letting out a low, incredibly loud grumble that shook their surroundings. The trio took a step back, Gloria reached her free hand over toward Allister protectively. Bea shot her gaze over to Allister, who was swallowing nervously.

_I wish I could help— I should probably—_

She found her own brow furrowing in anxiety as she turned to look back up at the bickering pokemon. She felt a feeling she'd never felt before, looking down at her feet in shock.

_I'm... I'm drawing a blank? This never happens._

She glanced over to see Gloria, taken aback at her steady, calculating gaze. She looked completely unfazed, loosening her grip on Bea's hands as she turned her attention to Allister. She walked behind him, putting both hands on his shoulders and bending down. She whispered something into his ear, pointing up at the pokemon and squinting. She saw Allister nod.

_Wait what? But—_

Allister's gengar let out an outrageous cry, splitting itself into a wild double-team in front of the confused musharna. The musharna let out a cry of impatience, its head glowing as it prepared for what looked like a monumental zen headbutt, Bea clenched her hands into fists nervously, crouching down to join in on Allister and Gloria's conversation. 

"What is the plan here exactly??"

"Bea—" Gloria chided, shooting her a harsh look, "—Allister, this is exactly where we want it. We don't have a lot of time, but that musharna's gonna miss. Trust me—" the trio looked back up at the battle field, the wild musharna's glow looked like it was reaching a climax, "— there's gonna be a second where it's vulnerable. Get 'em with—"

"—Shadow ball." Allister's voice was muted as his almost glowing violet eyes locked onto the fight. He narrowed his eyes in the general direction of Gengar as the Musharna rushed recklessly into one of the nearby cave walls, sending another tremor reverberating through the den. Allister pursed his lips nervously, craning his neck as the dust settled. 

_Did it... not miss...?_

A black, circular void soon appeared out of nowhere, shooting down to the musharna at artillery speed. A white flash of light blasted from the radius of the impact point on the musharna, a shockwave gusted through the trio's clothes. Bea's jaw dropped as gengar reappeared, hovering over the musharna. The storm raging around them began to die down progressively, dust settling around them percussively. 

The musharna stirred once,

_Uh—_

It stirred once more, Gloria squinted hard in its direction,

_Come on...._

They all let out a collective sigh of relief, the musharna's head tucking limply against the ground. Gloria let out an excited yell, shaking Allister's shoulders proudly as he smiled sheepishly.

_He did it._

His smile spread more, a satisfied giggle escaping his mouth as Gloria picked him up from behind, twirling him around in a circle. Bea wrung her wrists in disbelief. 

" _That's_ how you do it, dude!" Gloria's bright voice echoed in the calm, darkening cave. "And you didn't need _this_ thing either," she set Allister down and slid her hand to his wrist, rubbing her thumb over his Dynamax band, "you're the _real deal!"_

_He really did it... without my help at all... he..._

Allister let out a dreamy ' _whoooo'_ as he broke out the empty dusk ball at his side, activating it to call back his gengar. He sighed with satisfaction then turned to face Bea. 

"D-did you see that s-sis?!"

Her voice caught in her throat as he looked up at her with his big, excited eyes. 

_He didn't need me..._

Complex feelings of jealousy, pride, and anxiety made it hard for Bea to talk. She straightened up, flexing her abdomen as she internally beat down her spiraling emotions. She shook her head at Allister as she walked toward him, offering her hand for him to hold. He furrowed his brow. 

"S-sis? Are you okay?" his small hand grabbed onto hers as she kneeled down in front of him. 

"Ghostie..." she blinked back tears as he walked closer to her, looking intently into her eyes, "... you did _so_ good out there! I'm so..." Bea's arms wrapped around him as she pulled him into a tight hug. Allister obliged her reluctantly, wriggling a bit as Bea sniffed emotionally, "...I'm so _proud_ of you." 

Allister stopped trying to wriggle free from the embrace. Bea cracked a smile as he wrapped his own arms around her to return the hug. 

_I guess... I've been babying him..._

She pulled away, letting go to stand back up. She glanced down at his small figure. She pursed her lips, then looked back up to Gloria.

_Maybe... He's just growing up..._

Gloria shot her a reassuring smile as she ushered them toward a single beam of sunlight that shone down from above, signaling their exit from the den. Allister walked ahead of them, Gloria slipped her hand into Bea's once again, squeezing it softly.

Bea sighed, trying not to think about all the things that were currently spiraling out of her control.

She opted just to walk forward, leaning her head on Gloria's shoulder. 

She closed her eyes for a second as she felt Gloria plant a kiss at the top of her head. Bea opened her eyes once again. Allister walked proudly forward, maskless toward the sunlight. 

_Everything is changing..._

_Is that okay...?_


	42. Wearing the Pants

"Alright bud," Gloria's grip on Allister's ankles tightened as she did her best to stay as steady as possible, "can you reach it?"

_Hnnnnggghh, this would've been a lot easier if I had Cheep—_

She winced as she felt his feet dig into the tops of her shoulders, the rubber soles of his shoes scraping her skin through her shirt. She looked down to see Bea's poor, exhausted face as she steadied her own grip on her calves. Gloria grunted, sweat dripping down her neck. Allister wobbled a bit as their human tower swayed backward.  
  
"Allie—" Bea's voice filtered through clenched teeth, "—just tell us if you can't reach— we can figure something els—"

"Got it!"

Dust and dirt trickled down, the sound of Allister getting a grip on the lip of the den's entrance echoed down. Gloria and Bea let out a sigh of relief as they looked up at Allister scrambling cutely up the cave wall. The soles of his shoes disappeared into the above-ground. Gloria wobbled a bit on Bea's shoulders as she cupped her hands around her mouth.

"Is it still there?"

Allister peeked his head over the den's entrance adorably and nodded, Gloria looked down at Bea's miserable face and smiled, shooting her a double thumbs-up. She mustered a half smile as she dug her heel into the ground to steady them. Gloria cleared her throat, pointing in the general direction she thought her bag was, "Okay lil dude, grab my backpack— in the very back pocket, there should be some rope. Find something to tie it on so we can get outta here, okay?" Gloria leaned against the rocky wall as Allister nodded at her directions. His face disappeared to go find the bag. Bea's voice wavered slightly from below,

"Hoookay Gloria... I've gotta let you down now—" Gloria looked down to see Bea take her left hand off of her leg to wipe her brow, "—Let's make this nice and—" a bug whizzed past Gloria's ear, causing her to jerk her head backward, swatting wildly around her face instinctively.

_Uh-oh._

Her heels slipped off of the front of Bea's shoulders as gravity set out to claim another victim, Gloria squeaked out a girly yelp as Bea yanked her feet forward, bringing Gloria hurtling forward, her crotch slamming into the back of her neck. Gloria felt the wind leave her lungs, her eyes wincing in pain, " _FUCK—"_ Bea tumbled forward, the inertia bringing her knees to the ground. Bea groaned as she collapsed between Gloria's legs, the fall bringing her Gloria down into a convenient standing position. Her voice was tiny and strained, 

" _—and easy...._ "

Gloria precariously swung her leg over Bea's head, her hands gingerly hovering over her crotch as she tried to ignore the radiating pain. Her own voice felt strangled in her throat as she crouched down, putting a hand on Bea's back, "Bea—Oh my god— are you okay??"

" _I think—"_ she weakly tilted her head up to look at Gloria through squinted eyes, " _I'm gonna take the day off from training with you tomorrow..."_

Gloria frowned, the frayed end of her escape rope suddenly landed right before Bea's exhausted face. She closed her eyes and let out a long sigh. 

"C-coming back u-up?" Allister's small voice echoed down to the injured duo. They groaned. "Can w-we hurry u-up...? What are w-we having for l-lunch...?"

Allister wriggled the rope annoyingly in front of Bea's face as she let out another long sigh, pushing herself up off of the ground to grab the rope. Gloria examined her face closely. Bea's weak expression from before had changed entirely, her now-determined eyes meeting Allister's. Her arm flexed as she put her free hand above the other, yanking the rope to test for stability. She shot Allister a warm and friendly smile, her voice calling back up to him sweetly, 

"Whatever you want Ghostie!" Her foot scuffed against the wall as she made quick work of the climb, "you did _so_ great down here! My treat!" 

Gloria's jaw was dropped to the ground, watching Bea from the background with a look of disbelief. 

_How the FUCK does she do it?? Wasn't she like, temporarily dead for a second there? I crotched her neck at like 200 miles per hour?? Is she invincible??_

Gloria squinted as Bea's toned legs dangled briefly by the lip of the den's entrance, waving to and fro as she hoisted herself out. Gloria glanced down at her hands, stretching out her tired arms in front of her. A bead of sweat rolled down her neck again. She grabbed onto the rope bravely, looking determinedly at her destination, Allister and Bea poking their head's over the edge as they waited expectantly. She firmly grasped the rope, heaving herself up and wrapping her leg around it. 

_If she can do it, so can I — HNNNNGGHHHH—_

She put one hand above the other, mirroring Bea's movements, inching pathetically upward, swaying back and forth. 

_SHIT._

-•-

Allister giggled next to Bea as they looked down into the den. 

"Hehe... I think she needs a hand..."

Bea frowned, trying her best not to laugh as she watched the scene below her. She brought her hand to the back of her neck, massaging what would surely become a bruise later tonight or tomorrow. She sighed.

_I'm almost at my limit today... I've been carrying both of them on my shoulders for hours now...._

A scrape echoed up to Allister and Bea, Allister laughed again. 

"I think w-we should h-help..." he turned to look at Bea expectantly. She shot him a deadpan expression, crossing her arms. 

He raised his eyebrow sweetly. 

She pouted back. 

He pulled out his own secret weapon. 

_Oh gosh... Look at those sweet lil eyes... hmmmmmmm...._

Allister's baby eyes glistened in the sun as hey drilled his way into Bea's heart. She held out as long as she could, then threw her hands into the air. 

"Gosh okay! Alright—" She crawled forward and hollered down to Gloria, "—Hey— Champion! Hold on tight!" She turned around and pushed herself up, patting the dust off her grimy shorts in vain. She stretched, trying her best not to wince at the burn she felt in her shoulders and neck, cracked her knuckles, popped her neck, then sat back down, holding the rope firmly between her legs as she braced against the edge of the den's mouth with both feet. She sighed once again, mentally preparing herself for one last burst of energy. The threads of the rope squeezed together beneath her vice grip as she began to reel Gloria back up. She could feel her face turn red, her palms getting raw at the constant friction of the rope.

Gloria's hands finally grasped onto the stone by her feet, Bea loosened her grip on the rope and let her body fall backwards with a dull thud, closing her eyes in the harsh, desert sun. Lactic acid began to eat away at her muscle fibers, her stomach ached for food. Above everything else, Bea had one thought running through her mind. 

"I wanna take a shower."

A firm pair of hands grabbed hers, hoisting her up into a sitting position. She opened her eyes. Gloria's face was looking down at her, full of concern. She glanced to the side, her brother gathering up the remaining rope and looping it around his elbow in a figure eight. She furrowed her brow.

_Allister is watching. Be tough._

She stifled a groan as she tried to get up, her knees wobbling as she did her best to straighten her posture. Gloria's arm shot around her, steadying her balance firmly beside her. She let go before Allister could look over, Bea cocked her head in confusion as she returned her gaze to her. Gloria leaned down and whispered in her ear. 

_"Let's get you home then..."_

Bea nodded gratefully, Allister handed Gloria's bag back to her with a smile. He started looking around, scanning the ground intently. Bea and Gloria looked at each other in confusion. 

"Whatcha lookin' for, bud?"

"Sis's d-duffel..." he brought his fingertips together preciously as he continued to shuffle around, his eyes glued to the ground, "g-gotta check it..."

Bea straightened up and walked over the the tall patch of grass that neighbored the path they were on, hoisting her duffel over the brown tips and slinging it over her shoulder. She crouched down in front of Allister. "What do you need, Ghostie?" her voice was gentle as she swung the bag in front of her. He blushed shyly and pointed to his face, leaning over to whisper into her ear. Her eyes perked up, her hands undoing a specific zipper in the center of the bag. She fished out an extra mask, Allister plucked it from her hands gratefully. 

_Huh..._

He tightened the straps of the mask and started walking down the path ahead of her and Gloria, kicking up dust as he walked. Bea smiled, standing back up to watch him. 

_I guess maybe he hasn't outgrown me just yet..._ _Maybe I wa—_

Her eyes widened, a fierce blushflashed on her cheeks. She whipped her head to the side as Gloria walked beside her, her hand loosening the firm pinch she planted on her butt. _"Gloria—"_ her pinky looped with Bea's as she smirked coyly at her, pulling her forward to walk behind Allister. Bea averted her gaze bashfully to the ground, the burn in her muscles seemed to fade away. She couldn't help but smile. 

Gloria's fingers boldly laced with Bea's one-by-one until she held her hand completely. Her voice was hushed, " _See? We got out just fine..."_

Bea scoffed incredulously, but she still couldn't stifle her reluctant smile. 

_You know for right now... Things are fine..._

The three of them walked tiredly back toward the path that lead back to Bea and Allister's home. 

-•-

"I dunno, I just found her like this..." Piers's voice was inappropriately aloof as him and Nessa stood in the bathroom, Marnie slumped over and snoring by the tub. Nessa crossed her arms and frowned.

"She's gonna catch a cold like this..." 

"Yer prolly right..." Piers's foot nudged Marnie's thigh. They watched with bated breath. She didn't stir. He nudged again, harder this time. Still nothing. He looked at Nessa, who shrugged at him, still frowning. 

He crouched down beside her and snapped his fingers by her ear. She stirred, sniffing as she changed positions, bringing her ear further away from his hand. He looked back up at Nessa devilishly. Nessa raised her eyebrow. 

-•-

"Are you _crazy—_ no Piers— it doesn't work like that." Nessa spat her words out harshly to Piers as they walked back into Marnie's bedroom. 

"What are you talking about?? This is a win-win! Listen—" he glanced back at Marnie's knocked-out body, then back to Nessa's fuming face, "—Marn 'n I— we don't have that—" he gestured awkwardly in front of him with his hands, "—you know, relationship where we talk. So I go in there, tell her I'm gay, so that I can say I did it, then jet outta here to go back on tour with a clean conscious!"

Nessa rolled her eyes and shot her hand out to Piers's ear, dragging him into the bathroom. He groaned the whole way over. They towered before Marnie, Nessa let go. She turned to him, his hand gingerly cupping his very red ear, "You know what? _Fine—_ but Arceus is my witness, if you do not yell it in her ear at least, then I will consider you a coward for the rest of my life. Or your life. Whichever lasts longer. So probably my life." 

Piers rolled his eyes and huffed, nudging Marnie's limp leg again with his foot. His shoulders drooped in defeat. "Fine. So I just yell it, get it out there, and the I can go, right?" Nessa nodded, her foot shutting the door behind her. 

"I've been to one of your shows Piers," she elbowed him lightly in the ribs, " _So I know how loud you can yell."_

He cringed as he lowered himself, crouching in front of his sister's sleeping body. He cleared his throat. "Here goes..." Piers's chest puffed forward as he took a deep breath in. He let it catch at his throat, his fists balling up firmly. His face started to turn red. He reopened his mouth. 

Nessa leaned forward, watching expectantly. 

*FWAHHHHH*

Piers let out a billowing exhale as he hung his head, Nessa pouted in disappointment in the corner. Piers opted instead to lean in close to whisper into his sister's ear. Nessa craned her neck and squinted. 

_Gah! Can't hear him..._

Marnie let out a mumble and raised her head, her eyes opening reluctantly. Piers was already squeezing by Nessa to walk out the door. Nessa glanced down at Marnie, who brought her hands to her eyes cutely, scrunching up to wipe the sleep from her eyes. She groaned. 

"...PIers...?" 

He turned the handle on the door and walked away, walking quickly out of her room and down the hall. Marnie yawned, stretching her arms up and leaning her back over the edge of the tub. Her back cracked in sequential pops, making Nessa wince. She sighed, crouching down in front of her, putting her hand on top of her knee.   
  


"He just left..."

Marnie's big, green eyes blinked as she tried to negotiate herself into consciousness. Nessa could feel her face blush as she held her gaze. She brought her hand up to cup her face gently, "Let's get you into bed, girl..." Marnie snuggled weakly into her hand as she brought her elbow up to brace against the edge of the tub. She heaved herself up into a standing position, leaning weakly against Nessa. Her voice was weak.

"...I already knew..." she stumbled forward with Nessa as they made their way to her bed. Nessa cocked her eyebrow up. 

"What?"

Marnie collapsed face first into an embrace of sheets, turning her face to the side. She sighed, closing her eyes gently, "... it was in his file..."

Nessa froze in place, watching Marnie fall back asleep almost immediately with dire concern. 

_It was in... his file...?_

She brought her thumb to her mouth, biting it nervously.

_That sounds like... It can't be. He's only done that to me, right...?_

She backed away cautiously from Marnie, thoughts racing through her mind. Anxiety bubbled up slowly. She reached her hand out to jostle Marnie back awake, but froze inches away. She clenched her jaw. 

_Should I... Ask...?_

She brought her hand back to her, opting to take a seat at the edge of the bed, pulling the duvet up to cover her peaceful body. She caressed her cheek gently. 

_Or should I let it go..._?

She was snapped out of her deep thoughts by the sound of the front door slamming shut. She stood up and split the shades in front of Marnie's window. Piers's slouching figure sauntered down the front steps of the brownstone, disappearing into the crowd. Nessa let out a sad sigh, turning her gaze back down to Marnie. 

"Let's just focus on getting you better first..."

-•-

"AIR C-CONDITIONING—" Allister's little body burst through the front door of their house, kicking off his shoes and running straight for the couch. Bea narrowed her eyes, snapping her fingers loudly, scolding harshly,

"Up-up-up _—_ shower first Allie. And you know where to put your shoes," Gloria had burst past her and frozen in place, about to jump onto the same couch as Allister. She smiled guiltily, backing away as Bea continued, "I _—_ uh _—"_ her eyes darted back to Allister, who looked at Gloria, then back at her, "—same rules for everyone." She pursed her lips as she finished her statement firmly. Gloria smiled sheepishly, shrugging at Allister with a 'she's-the-boss' look. Allister hung his head and shuffled back to his shoes, picking them up with one hand as he unfastened his mask with the other. Gloria made her way back over to Bea. 

_Am I going crazy or did Allister just look at Gloria for permission...?_

"What a _day_ huh...?" Gloria's voice brought her back into reality, Bea smiled back at her as she slipped off her shoes, picking them up and walking over to the laundry room. She followed along.   
  


"It was a day for sure..." She put her duffel bag and shoes onto the counter tops by the sink. She leaned against the counter, crossing her arms and looking over to Gloria. Gloria raised her eyebrow. 

"Is something... Wrong...?"

Bea tapped her foot, trying to find the words. "Nnnnnn... Yes?" Gloria slid next to her, bumping her shoulder against Bea's. She looked at her expectantly, Bea let out a sigh, "Gloria," she uncrossed her arms and set her hands down onto the table, looking intently into her eyes, "do you have any younger siblings?" 

Gloria shook her head shortly, "Nope!"

"Any experience with children, like nieces, nephews?"

"Nope, nope!"

"Any older friends with kids that you happen to be the godmother of?"

Gloria shook her head again, "Uh-uh..."

Bea pinched the bridge of her nose and looked down scrunching her eyes shut in frustration. She cleared her throat, bringing her gaze back to Gloria's, her face was filling up with concern, "Gloria, I really like you." Her face perked back up, a smile spread immediately on her face. Bea continued to struggle with her words, "I really do, you know that. And I know that today was partly _my_ fault for not paying enough attention. But—" Gloria's face looked immediately crestfallen, Bea powered through her thought, "Allister is, he's you know... What he needs is consistency." Bea brought her hands up, chopping one hand down into her palm, "Routine. And... Since he's going to be starting a new chapter as a gym leader, I really need— _"_

Gloria pushed herself off the counter, walking to stand in front of Bea. She reached out her hands to hold onto Bea's, her eyes stared intently into hers. Bea swallowed hard. "I get it..." Gloria turned around, heading out the door, holding onto Bea as she lead her back to the living room. Bea cocked her eyebrow, Gloria glanced back at her, "I'm not trying to insert myself or..." She paused, looking at the ceiling for inspiration, "...undermine anything with you and Allister." She stopped walking, bringing the two to the base of the stairs. She squeezed Bea's hand. "You're in charge here."

_Huh..._

Gloria turned around, the two started to walk up the stairs. Allister's shower was still going as they turned the corner and walked into Bea's room. Bea bumped the door shut with her butt as Gloria ogled at the vacuum lines in the carpet. Bea walked past her and turned on the light in her en suite. She took a deep breath in, the clean smell of bleach filling her nose. Gloria came up behind her, wrapping her arms gently around her waist. "I also..." Gloria's voice whispered against her ear, making her shiver and melt in her arms, "... I don't want you to think that I don't want to stick around... Or feel like I think he's a problem..." She squeezed her close, Bea lifted one hand up to cup her cheek gently, "...So I'll find a happy medium I guess...? I promise I won't do anything else reckless without your _conscious_ approval, okay?" Bea closed her eyes and nodded, letting Gloria hold her close. 

_That's... Exactly what I needed to hear..._

Bea cracked a smile, turning around in her arms, leaning up on her tip toes to plant a quick kiss on Gloria's lips. She wrapped her arms around her neck and pulled away, looking at her sincerely. "Hey..." Gloria's expression perked up expectantly, Bea lowered her voice to a whisper,

" _Let's get cleaned up..."_

Gloria grinned back at her, dropping her hands to her butt naughtily,

"I thought you'd never ask..."


	43. UPDATE

Hey Team!

first of all— I’d like to thank you all again! I have such a great and supportive crowd that makes writing all worth it.

I’ll be wrapping up this fic pretty soon— I’ve got another anthology planned to continue the story though, so never fear! I just like the characters too much.   
  


Next chapter is coming soon! Just having a rough night tonight, and I’d never wanna put something out that was subpar. I’m thinking maybe tomorrow or Monday for the next update.

Thanks again for the love, if any of you wanna reach out or chat or anything, I have a tumblr! Same username as the one here :-) 

Love ya!


	44. Appearances and Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter today, so sorry! I just wanted to split this chapter up, since I wanted Nessa and Marnie to have their own! Thanks for letting me take a break, for those who are wondering, my tumblr URL is: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/pokegothgf
> 
> Can’t wait to get into the next chapter to explore what Nessa’s hunch is, Marnie’s feelings, and SONIA’S DEVIOUS PLAN

“Oh poor thing...” Gloria’s voice was muted as she stepped into the shower behind Bea. Her arms wrapped around her, her hands sliding down to her wrists to inspect her palms. Bea’s warmth radiated against her body as the water trickled down them both.

Bea perked her head up, glancing up to meet Gloria’s gaze. Her voice sounded shy, “Oh? Ah, it’s nothing...” She winced in Gloria’s arms as she ran her thumb over her reddened palms, Gloria frowned.   
  


_This is my fault..._   
  


“Lemme take care of you then,” She let go of Bea, reaching around her to grab the bottle of shampoo perched on the shelf beside them, “I won’t take no for an answer!” She backed away, holding the bottle above her head as Bea whipped herself around to face her, grabbing for the shampoo.

”Hey—“ her small figure closed in on Gloria, who was shooting her a wide, shit-eating grin, “—come on— I don’t need all that—“ she cornered Gloria against the cold, glass pane at the opposite end of her shower. She stood up on her tip toes, bracing one hand against Gloria’s soft shoulder as she swiped her hand up at the elusive bottle. A pout began to form on her face, Gloria felt herself blush as she closely inspected the rippling muscles on Bea’s body. Her hand unconsciously wrapped around her waist to pull her closer, Bea suddenly stopped fighting for the bottle.

_Oh my..._

_”_ Um...” 

Gloria’s hand slowly started to lower, the intense eye contact between the two seemed to make the steam form faster, Bea’s eyes darted to Gloria’s lips.

_I’m going for it._

Gloria haphazardly reached over to the shelf to balance the bottle back on top of it, firming her grasp around Bea’s waist. She leaned in for a kiss, both of Bea’s hands shot up to her shoulders. Gloria cocked an eyebrow.   
  


“You don’t wanna?”

”No no— I definitely do—“ 

Her eyes darted over to the door to the bathroom, then back to Gloria.

  
_Shit— Allister._

_”Oohhhh I get it—“_

”I just don’t want to make him wait you know— hey— what are you doing—“ 

Gloria’s hands fell to Bea’s ass, clamping down firmly as she brought her closer playfully, “C’mon... Let’s have a little fun...” 

Bea’s face glowed with a blush, her arms wrapped around Gloria’s neck as she begrudgingly melted into her embrace, “Gloria, I cant just— he’s gonna be so hungry and I haven’t figured—“ 

Gloria’s head ducked down to Bea’s neck, Gloria walking her backward closer to the warm stream. Her lips made delicious contact with her sensitive skin, the drops of water began to drum on them both. Bea closed her eyes.

”You think too much...” 

“You...” Gloria’s hands began to wander, Bea became breathless in her arms, “... have a surprisingly low amount of responsibilities...” 

Gloria kissed her way up to Bea’s jaw, humming with amusement, “Oh? You think so...?”   
  


Steam curled around them in tendrils, the sunlight filtered through from the skylights in the ceiling of the bathroom. Bea opened her eyes to find Gloria’s lips millimeters from her own. Gloria brought her hand back up to run through her wet hair, Bea swallowed hard.

”Ten minutes tops— then _you_ need to help me figure out lunch—“ 

Gloria smirked, nuzzling a sweet, wet Eskimo kiss against Bea,

“ _G_ _reat, I only need five...”_

_-•-_

Allister was already in shorts and a t-shirt, ruffling his hair vigorously in his favorite purple towel. He eyed his room as he approached his door, inspecting it one last time.

_Bea’s already in one of her moods, I don’t wanna get grounded even worse for today... looks good though—_

He walked back over to flick the corner of the accent pillow on his bed, perking it up crisply. He shrugged, sliding the towel down onto his shoulders as he kicked a couple of books and figurines beneath his bed.

_Today. Was the best. Day. Ever. I can’t believe I actually BEAT that Pokémon!_

His small, pale hand dropped to his doorknob, squeezing gently as he pushed his shoulder against the door.

_Am I gonna get to do that every other day like Bea said?? With GLORIA??_

A wide smile was plastered on his face as he opened the door and started down the hall toward the stairs.

_She’s SO cool. She really IS the best trainer in Galar... So what’s she doing with—_

He stopped, pausing to look at the closed doors of the master bedroom. The faint whooshing sound of the shower thundered from behind the doors. He frowned.

_I get the feeling Bea didn’t want to go today... she’s been acting weird all day... she DID technically agree to Gloria’s plan, I just hope she doesn’t fight her about it to—_

A high-pitched, girly yelp followed by some clattering and a round of giggles resounded from Bea’s room. Allister immediately pivoted on his heel and ran down the stairs, an awkward blush burning his fair face. He got to the bottom of the stairs, putting his hands to his cheeks and mashing firmly. More girly giggles echoed down the stairwell, his face grimaced in embarrassment.   
  
  


_Oh no. Oh no. Oh no._

His hands migrated to cup his ears, firmly pressing down as he made his way to the living room. He scanned the surroundings desperately for the remote. He jumped into the couch, bringing the remote to his lap and clicking on the TV, mashing his forefinger on the volume button. It looked like neither him, nor Bea had changed the channel from the gossip network from earlier. His eyes widened.   
  


A gleeful picture taken from earlier that day was plastered on the screen, the two anchors gossiping excitedly as they pointed at Gloria and Bea’s smiling faces, Allister swinging in between the two blissfully unaware. Complicated feelings of excitement, embarrassment, and uncertainty bubbled up in Allister. He leaned forward and peeked back over to the stairwell, hearing the faucet squeak and the pipes in the ceiling bubble. His mind was racing.

_Wait— is the CHAMPION dating my sister? For real now??  
_

He scooted to the edge of the sofa, cocking an eyebrow up, a smug smile spreading on his face as he looked around.

_Does that mean we’re rich now...?  
_

He got up off of the sofa, scanning the countertops and eventually walking over to the laundry room, digging through the pockets of Bea’s duffel bag meticulously as he mimicked the espionage movies he’d seen hundreds of times. A purple and blue gengar case caught his eye. He fished his phone out and opened up the browser, his little fingers tapping wildly in the search bar.   
  


The search results pulled up Gloria in several articles, he scrolled down to a particular article printed in a magazine he’d seen at the doctor’s office, _Galarian_ _Home_. He tapped on the URL.

_THAT’S where she LIVES???  
_

His eyes were wide as he continued to scroll, pausing on a wide-shot picture in a gorgeously wide open field. What looked like an army of diverse Pokémon played in the background behind Gloria’s buttoned-up championship team, she stood before them with her arms crossed. His eyes darted over the caption.

_SHE. IS. SO. COOL. ALL of these are hers?? She has SO many legendaries!!!  
  
_

He heard a door open up from upstairs, he quickly exited the window, shut off his phone, and stuffed it back into the pocket where he’d found it before scrambling out of the laundry room. He swan-dove back onto the couch, grabbing a pillow to hug in his lap. The gossip channel blathered on in the background. The familiar call of Bea’s voice echoed down the stairs.

”Allieee!!” Her feet drummed down the stairs, he could tell she was skipping steps, “What do you wan— oh— hey turn that garbage off—“ He met Bea with a big innocent grin as she hurried to change the channel, tossing the remote back onto his lap. Her hair was still wet, she sported a rosier, brighter demeanor. “Don’t watch that stuff Ghostie, it’ll rot your brain...” her voice trailed off as the sound of the fridge opening took her attention away. More footsteps sounded off at the top of the stairs.

”Hey Bea—“ Gloria’s bright voice lit up the living room, her figure soon turned the corner at the base of the stairs to join Allister and Bea, “— where do I— uh—“ 

Allister had crawled his way to the end of the couch, smiling expectantly like a puppy waiting for a treat. He cocked his eyebrow knowingly at Gloria, who blushed nervously in return, her voice wavering slightly,

”Hah... what’s up buddy?”   
  


He propped his elbows up at the end of the couch, letting his chin fall safely into his hands. He kicked up his feet behind him and smirked. His voice was small, but strangely confident,

”Wh-white towels go in the tan hamper in the laundry room, _Gloriaaa...”_

Gloria smiled back, regaining some confidence of her own as she whipped around to walk toward the aforementioned room. Her voice was playful, 

“Oh! Thanks so much, _Allisterrrr...”_

Allister watched her disappear around the corner, readjusting comfortably on the couch and putting his hands behind his head. He let out a rich sigh, Bea made her way to the loveseat beside the couch, curling up with a sports drink in hand. Allister closed his eyes, letting the light from the expansive windows shine on him warmly,

”You know Bea?”   
  


Bea raised an eyebrow, playing with the cap to her drink, “what’s up Allie?”

He turned dreamily onto his side, squeezing one of the decorative pillows,

”I think I could get used to this...” 

Bea’s eyes widened as she choked on her drink.


	45. I Don't Know... Or Maybe...?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> HI HAHA DON'T HATE ME OKAY! So I've been REAL busy with work and also it was my birthday and also I've had a weird past few weeks. I SUCK. BUT. I'm back! I love and missed all of you so much, but we've had some really exciting updates! Nathan_Thorn actually made a dedicated subreddit to this fic that I'll be moderating! COOL RIGHT? 
> 
> Anyways, after breaking from such a regimented, damn near almost daily schedule, I do have to admit I felt a little burnt out. BUT. I'm happy to say that I'm back on the wagon! Thank you all for your kind messages of love and encouragement, YOU guys truly make me wanna keep going! Enjoy the domestic fluff, what's Sonia and Nessa's phone call gonna look like in the next chapter...?

Nessa crept into Marnie’s closet, her eyes scanning up and down for a landmark that screamed ‘I keep files in here!’ She was greeted by an almost impenetrable defense of clutter. 

_Shit..._

She vigorously pushed aside the hangers perched on a worn wooden pole, stood on her tip toes and eyed the dusty top shelf, and kicked aside various knickknacks as she continued her search. She happened upon an old, worn guitar case in the corner. She immediately paused.

_Could this have anyth—_

“So are you like— going back to school to get your degree in being nosey or what.”

Marnie’s no-nonsense voice sent a nervous shiver down Nessa’s spine. She whipped around, putting her hands up defensively, “—Heyyyy Marnie! Wow— it’s amazing how you can go from passed out to UN-passed ou—“

_SHITSHITSHITSHITSHIT._

“The fuck are you doing in my closet? Are you desperately trying to stuff yourself back in it?”

Nessa dropped her hands and rolled her eyes, scoffing at Marnie as she walked out.

”Ugh too late for that— ship’s sailed... I was just...” Nessa scanned the room desperately, her brain cells engaging at impressive levels for her, “... looking for a change of clothes for _you_ , sweat monster.” She turned around, popping out her hip and crossing her arms, “you need a shower, ya nasty hungover mess...”

Marnie shot her a deadly glare as she brought the collar of her shirt to her nose, giving it a half-assed sniff. Her glare softened significantly, her shoulders coming up to a defeated shrug as she made her way back over to Nessa.

”Eh, I guess... maybe I wouldn’t be so damn sweaty if you weren’t so hell bent on fucking me every second...”

Nessa’s jaw dropped, her hand shooting out to box Marnie’s ear. “Ugh— whatever! Just go get cleaned up...”

“Ow! Bitch—“ her hand shot up to Nessa’s wrist as she tried to wriggle herself free, “— you’re so fucking confusing!” Her ear popped out from Nessa’s thumb and forefinger, glowing a painful red. Marnie held fast to her wrist as she locked her eyes onto Nessa’s. “What are we even doing? What’re you still doing here? Shouldn’t you be heading home to your _girlfriend_??”

_Ooo shit right. I have one of those..._

A pang of guilt shot through her stomach as she thought of Sonia, she wrung her wrists nervously as she walked over to the bed. She eyed her phone on her nightstand, picking it up and sliding her fingertip across the screen. Her voice was somber, "I don't know... I really honestly," she looked up, making earnest eye contact with Marnie as she walked toward her bathroom, towel in tow, "I didn't want to leave you alone after seeing you like that... I just wanted to make sure you were okay..." She set the phone back down, face up onto the nightstand to punctuate the remark. Her eyes darted back up to Marnie's figure in the en suite.

Marnie tossed the towel on the rack by her shower, turning around and folding her arms over her chest defensively. "I'll be _fine—_ this isn't my first rodeo with a hangover... or being alone..." Her voice trailed off as she leaned against the countertops in her bathroom to inspect her face. Nessa frowned. Her lips parted as she tried to find the words to say. 

Both of their heads whipped around simultaneously as Nessa's phone began to vibrate madly on top of Marnie's nightstand. Nessa swallowed hard as she approached the phone cautiously. Marnie smirked and followed closely behind. 

Sonia's name glowed on the screen.

-•-

_Did he just say— GUH_

Bea hacked away into her elbow nervously as Allister sat back up, concern causing the wrinkle between his brows to form.

"Wh-what's wrong Bea?? Are you—"

"—Whoa babe you good?"

_BABE??_

"B-babe? Ew..."

Bea's eyes watered as she tried to cough up the drink that went down the wrong pipe. Gloria stood at the foot of the couch where Allister was stretched out, ruffling her fingers vigorously through her damp hair to breathe some volume into it. Allister was grinning with an eyebrow raised at Gloria who paused mid-ruffle, her face beginning to glow. Bea felt her own cheeks catch on fire.

"BEA. I said Bea, haha whoopsies..."

_AHHHHHHHHH—_

"Yes! Fine," Bea stood up and twisted the cap back onto her drink firmly, ignoring the painful sting in her palms from the rope burn she'd gotten earlier, "totally fine _Gloria._ " She gritted her teeth as she walked toward the kitchen. She beat down her racing heartbeat and hot blush, trying her best to look composed in front of her little brother. Gloria walked briskly to catch up, getting a small smack in the back of the legs with a pillow by Allister who grinned back devilishly. His voice was small, but loud enough for Gloria to hear as she did her best to catch back up with Bea,

"S-sure... 'whoopsies'..."

Gloria couldn't help but smile as she approached Bea's small figure standing before her opened pantry. Her arms were crossed, her foot was tapping against the floor anxiously. Her face was lost in thought as Gloria peered over her shoulder quietly. 

_I bet she's eating this up. I bet HE'S eating this up. He's not supposed to be getting used to anything. What if she leaves? Is this a good example to be setting up for him? Why am I letting her in??? What is she breaks his he—_

"So I'm in charge of lunch today?" Bea jumped at the sound of Gloria's voice, her breath softly hitting her ear as she rested her chin gently on her shoulder. Gloria's left arm rested warmly on her hip as she reached over her shoulder, her fingertips sliding across the boxes of various ingredients. She paused at one, pressing her middle finger down on the corner of the box and sliding it out as if she would a library book. Bea's eyes followed closely as her heart raced in her chest. 

She brought her hand up to rest on Gloria's gently at her hip. She let out a sigh.

_What is she breaks mine...?_

"Pfft, what's this stuff??"

The warmth of Gloria's chin and the tickle of her damp hair soon lifted from her shoulder and cheek as she brought the box up over her and up to her face. Bea raised an eyebrow as she begrudgingly let Gloria's hand slide off of her, leaving her wanting more. 

"T-tell me 'bout it..." Allister's voice was small in response to Gloria's.

Bea brought herself back to reality, turning to face Gloria who was the shaking the box incredulously and leaning back against the countertop. The box rattled deftly in her hands as she pointed to it, pointing a wide, shit-eating grin to Allister.

"Bea— like— is this _all_ you have??" 

Bea furrowed her brow, snatching the box as she narrowed her eyes at Gloria, "What? It's healthy! Allie's you know," she paused and looked over at his small frame, Gloria looked too as she raised an eyebrow, "he's still growing! Somewhere... hopefully...?" Her and Gloria stifled smiles as they scanned Allister's body as he sunk back into the couch, his face clearly upset at Bea's comment. Gloria walked over to the sofa, messing up Allister's already-unruly hair heartily. 

"Aww, don't listen to her bud," Allister's face glowed as she crouched down in front of him. His legs kicked out indignantly in front of him. "You've got—" her fingers closed around Allister's ankles firmly, catching him by surprise, "— _plenty_ of time." Her voice strained for a second as she stood up, Allister dangling from her hands by his ankles. 

" _Hey!_ " Allister tucked his chin down to look up at Gloria who was happily swinging him from side-to-side, giggling at his deft swipes at her. "P-p-put me d-down!"

"What?" she stepped aside to a more open area, swinging Allister as she twirled herself in a circle, "I'm giving you a hand! You just need a lil shake down—" She heaved him up a bit higher, bringing heels about chin-height for her as she began bouncing him up and down, "There's gotta be a few inches hidden in here somewhere—"  
  


Allister began to giggle musically as Gloria played around with him. Bea set the box down on the island and leaned her elbows and forearms down on the cool, granite countertops, watching with a smile on her face as they played. Her face was pensive as she took in the scene. The sunlight hitting them warmly, Allister's flushed face and wide smile, Gloria's own bright smile, highlights in her bangs shining in the bright room. Bea's fingertips drummed against the countertop as a new, scary feeling washed over her. 

Allister looked happy.

_She_ felt happy. 

_Is this... normal?_

Gloria draped Allister back on top of the couch, wiping the perspiration from her brow and sighing, fanning her hand beneath her chin as Allister sat back up excitedly. Bea bit her lip as Allister reached up enthusiastically, grabbing hold of her wrists as he scooted off of the sofa. 

_She really looks like she wants to be here... Like she likes spending time with him..._

Gloria held her hand out, resting her palm on top of Allister's head, then raising it a few inches, nodding enthusiastically, feigning excitement at the ghosted inches she claimed Allister grew because of their little exercise. 

_This isn't an act, is it...?_

Gloria's laughter filled the room as Allister tried to cheat, standing up on his tip toes and wobbling into her embrace. 

_I don't think I can handle an act..._

Her eyes darted to the bar across from the island, where Gloria's phone lay. She thought about her home screen. 

_I... won't get far without knowing for sure. I'll ask toni—_

"Okie dokie gang. Personally? I'm not gonna celebrate surviving the depths of a dungeon with a massive musharna with _kale_ —" her nose scrunched cutely as her eyes darted to the counter at the box next to Bea's elbow, "—Allister, dude. Why don't you choose a place to eat? My treat?" She looked down expectantly at Allister, whose face was now consumed with deep though as his hands unconsciously made their way to his stomach. Gloria shifted her gaze back to Bea, looking directly into her eyes. The warmth of her auburn gaze almost made her heart stop, Bea stopped drumming her fingers on the counter. 

"Th-the dim-sum pl-place downt-town! S-same street as th-the g-gym?" Allister's voice was excited as he tugged at the hem of Gloria's shirt. Gloria smiled at him, shrugging her shoulders, patting his pack and keeping her gaze fixed on Bea. 

"Whaddaya say, mama bewear?" She extended her hand to her, waving her over invitingly. 

"Hmmm..." Bea stood up straight and popped her neck as she walked toward the two. "...that's a lot of sodium..."

"Aww come on, Bea..." 

"Y-yeah s-sis—" Allister looked back up at her with his wide, innocent eyes as she cautiously grabbed onto Gloria's hand. Gloria's tone of voice warmed considerably as she directed her words back up to her, lacing her fingers with hers. 

"I'll throw in dessert? Whatever you'd like?" Gloria pulled her in closer as she continued to cajole her into going out. Bea looked at the two, cautiously choosing her words as her mind raced with excitement and uncertainty. She let out a long sigh and relented, squeezing Gloria's hand tightly. 

"Mmm okay. Fine..."

A round of cheers from the duo resounded as Bea stifled a blush, she felt Gloria tug her towards the door. Allister clamored ahead excitedly, running for his shoes. Gloria let go of her hand, catching Bea by surprise. Her arm slid around her shoulder, looping around lazily as she brought her in warmly for a side-hug. 

"He's just _so_ cute, you did such a good job..."

Bea gently rested her hand on top of Gloria's stomach and nuzzled her head against Gloria softly.

"Mmm thanks... Let's just hope he stays that way..."  
  


Bea fought with her nerves as the physical and visual feedback of stability intruded on her thoughts.

Gloria walked ahead with Allister as she stayed behind and made sure to lock the door three times before running to catch up.


	46. Talk about a tease... UPDATE

Hey guys! I know I said I’d be back but... lol things change. I’m putting this fic on hiatus indefinitely whilst I figure life out. I might upload the next chapter in the interim because I already started it, but... yeah.

It’s been a crazy 45- chapter ride so far! I hope I can get my shiz together and continue! If not? You guys were always wonderful.

till next time babies!


	47. Right Now?? Seriously?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OKAY HERE'S THE CHAPTER! 
> 
> MORE WILL COME BUT I DON'T KNOW A SCHEDULE AND I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ANYMORE HAHAAAA
> 
> no but seriously, you are an extremely supportive group of people and I'm happy you don't see me as a content factory! I'm a real human! And you guys treat me kindly like I am one! I have the best readers!
> 
> Anyways, I still don't know how I'm gonna get back on schedule just yet, but I'm working on it! I don't wanna quit just yet!
> 
> Hope you're all having a phenomenal day!

Nessa could feel Marnie's presence directly behind her as she scooped up her phone, pausing for a moment to look at the screen. She swallowed hard and tapped her thumb on the green icon that glowed below it. She pressed the cold screen to her ear, turning around to sit on Marnie's bed, crossing her legs. 

It creaked loudly. 

"Heyyyyy baby!" Nessa's voice wavered as Marnie rolled her eyes in front of her and mimed with her hands, she mouthed ' _whipped much?'_ which made Nessa sneer back at her. Sonia's voice crackled slightly on the other end.

"Hey hun, just checking in! I haven't heard from you in a while... is everything okay over there?"

Nessa glanced around at the messy room, then dragged her eyes up Marnie's slender and disheveled figure. Her voice was high-pitched as she mimed a so-so with her free hand, " _Mehhhhh_ , I guess?"

Nessa could tell Marnie could hear Sonia letting out a small laugh from the other line because her face immediately lost all emotion and she held up two middle fingers as she glared into her eyes. Nessa shivered a bit. 

"So... talked to Gloria today... it was sort of weird, you know?" She could make out the jingle of keys in the background as well as the sound of a door shutting.

Her eyebrow raised, "Oh really?" She uncrossed her legs and leaned forward, tilting her head to rest on the palm that held her phone, "What does that mean?"

"You know? I'll tell you when you get home, okay babe? I'm actually sort of in the middle of working through this new idea I had..."

Nessa felt a smile tug at the corners of her mouth as she looked dreamily at the floor. She kicked aside a stray pillow, her voice became significantly warmer, "New idea, huh? What's that big brain of yours working on this time lady love?"

Marnie walked from her desk and back to the floor with a notepad in hand, sitting lazily in front of Nessa and looking up at her, sighing loudly. Nessa perked her head up and narrowed her eyes, putting her finger to her lips to shush her. Marnie stuck her tongue out at her indignantly. 

Nessa paused and stared at her piercing. Sonia's words started to blur together as she began to space out.

"...So I've got Hop working on logistics and operations while I get in contact with some people to get things started. Aside from figuring out infrastructure or a facility, I think I'll have this whole focus group thing worked out by the beginning of summer! I've already started on the paperwork to get Magnolia Labs turned into an incorporation so we can annex this and anything that might come from it as a separate entity more or less from the _real_ science we're doing. Still, I think we can make some good cash off of this!"

"Totally... Like, what? Wait, so you're gonna do what now with infrastructure and annexing and stuff?" 

_Ew that came out way dumber than normal, shit—_

Nessa's eye was caught by Marnie's hand, scribbling madly into the notepad in her lap. He hair cascaded in shining, jet-black locks down her shoulders, her bangs obscuring part of her face. Sonia's voice suddenly faded back into reality, making her sit up to snap her out of her daze. 

"... you know silly, like a focus group!"

_OH SHIT THERE WERE PROBABLY SO MANY SENTENCES THAT PRECEDED THAT. UM. OKAY NESSIE, DON'T FUCK THIS UP—_

"Oh my gosh baby! You're so smart, that's _such_ a good idea! That totally makes sense too!" 

Marnie was about to hold up her notepad but instead cradled it to her chest and cringed with Nessa at every fake word that came from her mouth. Nessa's eyes widened, her eyebrows raised, her smile became a grimace as she ended her statement, shrugging her shoulders nervously at Marnie. Marnie put the notebook down in her lap and held out her hands, mockingly giving Nessa a golf clap for her valiant efforts in haphazardly following the conversation with Sonia. Nessa's shoulders slumped as she rolled her eyes, Marnie held the notebook up and waved it a bit. Her handwriting was messy and in all caps,

_'ARE YOU GONNA TELL HER WE FUCKED?'_

Nessa's eyes widened, her jaw dropped.

Sonia's voice continued on, accepting Nessa's response, "Thanks! It's been a lot of work, lot's of paperwork and setting up time with the lawyers while..."

Marnie smiled devilishly and shrugged to herself, flipping the notepad back to face her, tucking it into her elbow and scribbling more. Nessa furrowed her brow and struggled to focus.

"Shit, better you than me, baby. I could _never_ do that." her voice was upbeat and engaging, her eyes were locked on Marnie. Her thoughts were drifting everywhere. 

Marnie punctuated her scribble with a flair and bit her lip, smiling a bit as she clicked the pen closed and began to tilt the notepad back to face Nessa once again. Nessa swallowed hard.

"...What do you mean, I thought you did stuff like that all the time?" Sonia's voice sounded a bit small, her voice trailing upward expectantly and suspiciously. 

"Huh?" Marnie flipped the notebook around, this time handing it over to Nessa. Her eyes scanned her handwriting slowly, she felt Marnie's hands grab firmly at her thighs, "—wait what? No I mean I _know—_ " Nessa struggled to focus even more, Marnie's hands traveled upward slowly, spreading her legs bit by bit. Nessa straightened up and began to shy away, leaning back onto her hand. "—I'm just saying getting everything you know, like—" Marnie tossed aside the notebook that had been laying in her lap as she slowly rose, closing the distance between them boldly. "—Set— you know— set up is not my style haha—"

Marnie's forefinger stroked beneath Nessa's chin, her eyes were fixated on Nessa's lips. Nessa found herself leaning in to her. Sonia's voice sounded concerned. 

"Hey, Nessie, are you okay? You're acting kind of weird—"

Marnie forced Nessa to scoot back toward the wall, her pulse began to roar in her ears. Her hand boldly reached between her legs, putting delicious pressure just where she likes it, "Fine! Fine haha I'm fine!" Nessa fought through her nervous laughter as she tried to steady her breathing. Marnie's head ducked down, her soft lips pressing against the sensitive skin of her neck.

Sonia cleared her throat on the other line awkwardly as Nessa shut her eyes hard, doing her best to hold onto any trail of thought that made sense as Marnie touched her, "okay then hun... You're such a weirdo, honestly, I can't wait for you to come home! You will be home soon, right?"

The suction on her neck made Nessa give out an involuntary, breathy sigh into the receiver, "Of course. Soon, baby, I can't—" Marnie's hand continued to stroke between her legs with firm precision, her lips made their way to her burning ear, pausing for a moment to nibble gently, "—I can't wait anymore." Nessa's eyes closed as she brought her free hand up to cup Marnie's cheek, the fight leaving her body as she began to submit to Marnie's desire. 

"Ugh you're so sweet. I'll see you soon then, love you!" 

Nessa had already begun to lower the phone from her cheek, her voice lowered considerably as she lifted her thumb up to find the button to hang up, "Mmmm, love you too." Her eyes were locked on Marnie's as the tip of her thumb made contact with the screen. Marnie swiftly pushed her down onto her back, leaning down over her and giving her a mock pout. 

"Awh," she looked deeply into Nessa's eyes as she began to dig her fingers into the waistband of her pants, dragging them down slowly, "you love me too?" her voice was nonchalant as she tossed the pants aside, crawling back over her. The notepad flung off the bed as they adjusted themselves in the covers excitedly. Nessa scoffed as she reached her hands beneath Marnie's shirt, letting her senses feed off of the texture of her warm, soft skin, 

"Shut up, stupid..." 

"Fine, but only because my mouth will be busy..."

The notebook lay face up on the ground, Marnie's crude sentences spoke to the ceiling. 

The bed creaked loudly, moans and gasps filled her room.

Her last sentence was underlined:

_Wanna know what it feels like to be confused?_

-•-

"Okay gang!" Gloria clapped her hands together and rubbed them excitedly, "Hey—" She turned her head around to see Bea fumbling with the door lock behind her, "—babe you too—" she beckoned her over with her extended hand and smiled as she saw her make her way over. She blushed as she watched her tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear, her long, blonde eyelashes catching in the midday sun. She nervously adjusted the strap of her bag.

_Damn._

"Now then," Bea's fingers laced with hers as they made their way down the trail, "are we all sure we wanna walk? Because I dunno about you dude," she reached down and nudged Allister's shoulder playfully, "but I'm like _so_ over walking right now..." 

Bea rolled her eyes and let out an incredulous laugh, Allister giggled beside her. Gloria raised an eyebrow, "What? Was that a dumb thing to say? Come on, we were trapped in a literal _dungeon_..."

Allister's small voice interjected, "w-well, flying t-taxis d-don't like t' come 'ere often... Too out i-in 'th-the boondocks' th-they say..." 

"Wait what, seriously?" Gloria's jaw dropped as she directed her gaze down to Allister. He nodded his little head adorably as they continued to walk. She let out a groan, "Uuuuughhhh, that's so dumb..."

"It's not that bad, you're such a baby," Bea squeezed Gloria's hand and nudged her gently, causing her to perk up, "Walking's good for you anyways!" Gloria's eyes locked onto Bea's, she felt herself space out for a moment as she got lost in them, taking in her tan face as rays of sunlight beat down on them. Her eyes made their way to her cute nose, down to her lips. She took a moment to admire the way her smile accentuated the apples of her cheeks and felt her own grin beginning to form. 

_I wanna kiss her. All the time._

They had made their way to the fork in the road that leads to town. Gloria stopped walking for a moment and reached down to open the top flap of her bag. A terribly old, scratched up poke ball rested near the top. she picked it up and absentmindedly activated it. "Listen, just because you're a machine and need constant movement in the million degree sun to live," she underhanded the ball into the air, the spin from her flicking wrist curved its trajectory slightly before it exploded open, "doesn't mean we can't make our way to lunch in style every so often." Cheep's dramatic figure shone in the light. Large, strong, metallic wings stretched out from his body, flapping and fanning out feathers with impressive force. Particle's of dust and small rocks were gusting out from Cheep's radius, blowing into the legs of the trio. Allister curiously and cautiously approached him. Bea let go of Gloria's hand almost immediately, backing away slowly but surely, maintaining determined eye contact with the bird. Her voice wavered slightly,

"Allie? Ghostie? Wanna come on back over here?" Her hand shook ever so slightly as she waved her hand. Gloria cocked her eyebrow back up, smirking with a bit of confusion. Allister obeyed his sister's request begrudgingly, dragging his feet as he made his way back to Gloria's side. 

"What? Do you really hate Cheepy-boy that much?" Gloria crossed her arms, continuing to smirk back at Bea expectantly. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she stood up a bit straighter. She crossed her arms too in defense. 

"What? It—just—no. I don't hate him, it's just—"

"Sh-she's scared of f-flying t—" 

"Allister!" Bea interjected, her jaw clenched as she shot him a death stare, "you have to be at least _this,_ " she held up her hand to her forehead, "tall to participate in this conversation."

"Pfffft what?? You. You're afraid of flying in general? Or like ALL flying types? Ha! That's so—" Gloria felt her heart stop momentarily when Bea directed her silencing gaze back up to her, "aha..."

She narrowed her eyes a bit more and tapped her foot anxiously, "No no! Go on, say it."  
  


Gloria held her hands up in front of her defensively, Allister grabbed onto her leg and cowered behind her, "It's just— you know, you're like the fighting-type master and all, so—" Bea boldly stepped forward, Allister tightened his grip on her leg. 

_THIS IS BAD THIS IS BAD THIS IS BAD THIS IS BAD— SHE CAN RIP MY ESOPHAGUS OUT AND BLOW IT INTO A BALOON ANIMAL. UMMM—_

She felt perspiration form at her forehead as she tried to navigate not only Bea's sisterly rage, but the daggers she was shooting to _her_ as well. Bea's voice was perfectly calm, completely juxtaposing her imposing aura and presence, "Go on? I'm listening."

Gloria kept her hands held up, ducked her head, shut her eyes, and pushed the rest of the sentence out of her, "Ijustthinkthatit'sfunnybecauseyou'rethefightingtypegymleaderandyou'reafraidofbirds." She gasped as the sentence spilled out from her. Allister whimpered quietly behind her,

"N-now you've g-gone and done it—"

Gloria kept her eyes closed but batted her hand at her leg,

" _SHHH—"_

They braced for impact.


	48. In Case Any Of You Were Wondering...

So I may not have all the time to sit down for 3 hours and bang out chapters like I used to, but I think I’ll be a lil more active on Tumblr with extra shiz.

https://pokegothgf.tumblr.com/post/620018156234326016/in-case-anyone-was-ever-wondering-what-my-creative

Check out my latest post, it’s some scribbles of what I think about before writing a chapter!   
  


if you think tumblr is a cesspool and sucks, never fear! Check out r/pokegothgf and there’s more content there! I DREW THE FOREPLAY PART FROM THE MARNIEXNESSA STEAM CHAPTER

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * A [Restricted Work] by [KatsPajamas](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatsPajamas/pseuds/KatsPajamas) Log in to view. 




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